


Waiting long enough

by Sarapp



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: A lot - Freeform, Age Difference, Alien Cultural Differences, Altean Magic (Voltron), Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Alternate Universe - Everyone Lives/Nobody Dies, Angst, Art, Blade of Marmora Keith (Voltron), Canon-Typical Violence, Curtis doesn't exist, Druids, Fluff and Smut, Friendship, Galra Keith, Half-Galra Keith (Voltron), Happy Ending, Hurt/Comfort, I dont know what i am doing, Keith (Voltron) Has Issues, Keith (Voltron) is Bad at Feelings, Love, M/M, Marriage, Masturbation, Mating, Mating Bond, Multi, Mutual Pining, POV Alternating, Pining, Please dont kill me, Protective Allura (Voltron), Protective Kolivan (Voltron), Protective Krolia (Voltron), Protectiveness, Quintessence (Voltron), Quintessence-Sensitive Keith (Voltron), REALLY slow, Slow Burn, Smut, Strangers to Lovers, Thace is obvious, Uneasy Allura, because I say so, dont know her, especially with romantic ones, everyone deserve hapiness, everyone is sooo done, facepalm feeling, i am a shitty writer, just secretly, kolivan is a proud space grandpa, kolivan is so done, shiro too, space mom krolia, thace and keith are idiots, this is a mess, time jumps, we die like canon, what canon
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-17
Updated: 2020-05-04
Packaged: 2021-03-02 02:41:11
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 13
Words: 35,270
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23687833
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sarapp/pseuds/Sarapp
Summary: READ THE TAGS!! probably lot of OFC and it is really an alternative reality I thinkAfter Keith awakend his blade and the continuous Quintessence effect when he is using his blade or flying the red lion, Keith gets some Galra features and decides to join the Blades after defeating Zarkon.Thace and Keith is get to know each other better when Keith is joins to the Blades. Thace has feeling for Keith but he has doubts because of the age and cultural differences.Everyone knows they has feeling for each other and want to help to those two idiots but nothing is working.How will the relationship between the two of them develop?SO!! THIS IS MY FIRST FANFICTION. Please don't kill me.ALSO!! english is not my native language so if there is an error in it then that is why.between a few chapters there will be time jumps
Relationships: Adam/Shiro (Voltron), Allura/Lance (Voltron), Antok & Keith (Voltron), Keith & Kolivan (Voltron), Keith & Krolia (Voltron), Keith & Lance (Voltron), Keith & Regris (Voltron), Keith & Shiro (Voltron), Keith & The Blade of Marmora, Keith & Voltron Paladins, Keith/Thace (Voltron), Kolivan & Krolia (Voltron), Thace & Ulaz (Voltron)
Comments: 21
Kudos: 44





	1. Saving

**Author's Note:**

> Keith saves Thace's life

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The battle begun, Keith saves Thace's life, and some unespected thing come up.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> the actual dialogues will be between the "xxxx" signs and tilted.  
> thoughts will be written tilted and bold.

After the Paladins and the Blead of marmora agents left Olkari and were in position, a problem has occurred. They haven't heard from Thace yet.

 _"We are not yet heard from Thace."_ \- said kolivan with a hardend voice- _" he was supposedto contact us two vargas ago."_  
 _" He could've been captured"-_ said Antok. With his mask on and years of hard training and war, no one could tell if he was hopeful or simply declared the facts.  
 _"Or killed. We need to abort the mission immediately."_ -declared Kolivan with a neutral face.

 _"ABORT_ ??"-snaped Allura, with a firece look on her face.-„ _NO! We cannot back away now!”_

Antok turned to the Princess and snaped bakc. His voice noticeably angrier. _„The Blde of Marmora does not take chances. It’s how we survived for so long.”_

Allura turned to Kolivan. Her posture was tense. _„It’s held you banck. Your cautionis the reason Zarkon is still in power.„_ She doesn’t shouted yet, but she was close to it. Kolivan’s face was hard his posture is commanding. _„ we would rather wait than jeopardize everythin. Beside, it’s too late to get someone on the inside.”_

 _„ I do it!_ ” said Keith suddenly.

Everyone looked him confused. _„What?”_ ask Allura.

 _„I’ll sneak onto Zarkon’s ship. „_ said Keith with confidently. „ _I’m Galra, so I’ll be able to interact with their technology. Pidge, you can rig up of those pods with a cloaking device, right?”_

 _„well yeah…”_ Pidge voice was uncertain.

Kolivan turned to Keith, with a stern expession _„ Going onto Zarkon’s ship is a suicide mission. I would never command someone so inexperienced to go on a mission so dangerous.„_ while his face gave no sign of concern , and his voice harsh, sill the worry could be found in it.

 _„ No one’s commanding me. I’m doing it.”_ Answered the young boy with such stubbornness, that it was sure, he would complete the mission whether he get Kolivan’s agreement os not.

Allura’s looked him with a hard expression on her face. She knew that if they want to defeat Zarkon she have tol et keith complete this mission. She still could not fully come to terms herself with the knowledge that the Red Paladin was half-galra, but she was most disturbed by the fact that he had asked from Kolivan for permission (as far as it could be called a permit request) rather than from her.

They could hear Shiro’s voice from the Blak Lion’s communicator, giving order for Pidge and Keith. His voic was firm but underneath there was concern. While Pidge prepard the pod Keith silentli waited next to her.

 _„Pidge…may I have a moment with Keith Please?”_ came the princess’s voice from the hangar’s door. While her sentence was polite, it was clearly that it wasn’t a request. The eyes of the Green paladin danced between the two staring people, then she shrugged. _„Sure thing. Have all the moments you like.”_ Said the young girl, and left the hangar.

 _„Is there something I can help you with?”_ ask th ered paladin. It was obvious his defence was up.

The Princess’s face was tense and she does not looked in the man’s face. _”The Galra, they’ve done terrible things. Destroyed entire civilizations. They took my family.”_ Her voice wounded. _„But in time, I’ve grown to consider you nad the paladins my family. So when I learnd you were a Galra, I…I didin’t know what to think. I wanted to hate you.”_

 _„Allura…It’s--”_ but he couldn’t finish his sentence.

The princesse while still not looking in his eyes but she countinued. _„But it’s not you. It’s me. My angen has blinded me for too long”_ Suddenly there was a body against his. He couldn't know what to do, Keith stad there awkwardly hovering his hand around the princess. _„I’m so sorry I misjudged and mistreated you. I'm ashamed. You’ve proven, it’s not what’s in your blood, It’s who you are that counts.”_

Now keith embraced the Princess He could tell she was really sorry . _„Please come back to us”_

The young man nodded his voice determined. _”I will”_

When Zarkon’s army appeared and the diversionary operation has begun, Keith got in Central Command, the Plan started.

Slav activated the gravity generator and the cloaked the teludav.

\---------¬__________________________________________---------------------------

Meanwhile int he Druids’s lab, Thace was still tied to the examination table. Two Driud awakend him with a large amount of electricity. They wanted answers. But they did not received any. When he still not give any sign that he will answer, they throw at him his marmora blade, and left the room.

 ** _„The fouls. They semm to underestimate me. Leaving me with my weapon.”_** \- He closed his eyes and concentrated. Activating his blade with his quintessence. The luxit blade easily cut off the energy clamps

\------------------______________________________________--------------------

Under the leadership of Kolivan and Antok, Keith reached the center hub without a problem. But he neede more time so the other lions joind Shiro ont he battle field to gain more time.

Keith got in the central hub and tried tor eset the system using the code that they gave him but is doasn’t worked. He wanted to tire again when the doors opend. He quickly hided behind some console.

A Galra in the Empire’s armor walked to the central console and typed in something he couldn’t see. At the same time the door opend once again and revealed two druid waiting.

 _„And now we know you were attempting to shut down the system.”_ They said. And begun to attack. The Galra didn’t move to defend himself, still typing.

Than suddenly he turned to the druid. _„You’re too late.”_ Said the Galra and get in an defensive position.

The druids stopped. _„No Thace. You are too lete. We already changed the code.”_ To demonstrate the statemen rapid beeping begun to hear.

Lot of thing happend at the same time. The druids attacked Thace. Keith noticed the opportunity and attacked the druid closer to him. He activated his luxit blade and threw it straight into the druid's back. It sreamed a horrid sound than dissapeared in a wave of his own dark energy.

The other Duid quickly disappeared just to reappear a little further, It’s dark energy ball still in hand and begun to shoot is towards to Thace and Keith. The young paladin successfully got out and launched another attack against a druid but it easily blocked it, the man almost crashed off the bridge, but he could come back thanks to his quick reflexes and the jet back.

When he got back on the brige he saw Thace fought the evil creature. Keith wanted to attack it’s back while the creature was busy, but it noticed him and defended the attack with a purple black energy ballAs a result the energy was released and the red paladin got hit with the dark energy on his shoulder....He sceamed.

 ** _„it hurts, it hurts , it hurts”_** thought the young man.

Whle he got a hold himself the druid wanted to bring in the final blow, but Thace grabbed it from behind and threw it with full force against the wall of energy next to the door. It screamed horribly and got blown up. With haevy breathing Keith standed up.

_„Thace? I’m Keith. A paladin of Voltron.”_

" _And a fellow Blade, I see._ ” came the answer.

_” I guess we haevn’t faild.”_

_„not yet”_

_„THIS IS GETTING HAIRY. HOW YOU DOING, KEITH?”_ \- come Lance loude voice from his helmet comms.

_„The Galra switched the codes. We’re trying a work-around.”_

_„WE? WHO’S WE?”_ asked the blue paladin confused.

 _„Thace. I found him. I’ll explain later.”_ Came the sort answer.

 _„COPY THAT_ ”-said Shiro ending the conversation.

While they were working to turn the place into a bomb Haggar slammed the door open with her dark quintessence. At that moment a group of sentries appeared but Keith shot them down and, guided by a sudden idea, aimed his bayard to the energy wall above the door and successfully shot a part of it down which blocked the entrance what it crashed.

 _„That solves one problem but now we are trapped in here._ ” His breathing was heavy and his injured shoulder was pulsating.

_„No, We are not. There’s an exit through the main power conduit. It leads to the second deck. Go now!”_

„ _What? No! I’m not gonna leave you._ ” snaped Keith. The thought of leaving the other man was not an option.

„ _You must. I will shut down the system. Paladin this is where my journey ends,but as a member of Voltron, you have a bigger mission. You must understand that.”_ Thace face was serious.

 _„NO!! I won’t leave behind a comrade.”_ Thace didn’t paid attension to keith protests and begun typing again on the main control deck. Keith wantet to shout some more of his thoughts but suddenly the rock what blocked the entrance got exploded. Keith automatically picked up his shield and stood in front of Thace, while the older man fumbled on the keyboard. Subbornly refused to leave him behind. When the dust settled Haggar shooted her wicked quintessence energy out straight to Keith's shield. He was breathing hard and had every need to keep from collapsing.

When the witch's second attack was about to shoot the console loudly began to beeping. Thace stood beside Keith. _„The bomb is ready just 10 tic remaind. Go! I’ll—„_ but he couldn’t finish his sentence because Keith got a hold on his arm and all the stenght he left and the help with his back jet, he jumped down straight to the exit. Counting the ticks.

He saw Thace activate his Marmora mask, (what he secretly wore under his empire uniform just in case) when the bomb expoled, he and Thace was almost at te exit. The the shock wave ripped them out of the gateway straight into space.When he had just panicked that they would be in crossfire in the open space, the red lion caught them safely.

\---------------------------------------_________________________________-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

while Keith and Thace set up the bomb and tried to escape, the others tried to win as much time as possible. Unfortunately when the cloaking went down Allura were forced to make a decision.

 _„We cannot wait any longer. I’m powering the teludav now!”_ Said Allura to the Paladins through the comms.

Kolivan and Antok watched as Zarkon’s ion cannon prepared to fire, but suddenly went out. Along with the galra fighter jets. They knew immediately Keith has succesfully completed his mission. And they activated the virus.

 _„I’m here! Thace is with me!”_ \- shouted Keith through the comms. The others indicated in different ways that they had heard and understood him.

Then the Teludav activated and with Allura concentrating her quintessence to form the biggest wormhole, she slowly, but steadily lowerd it down straight to Zarkon’s ship. „ _Hurry, paladins!_ ” said Coran _”We must make it in before the wormhole closes!”_

When they got out of the wormhole they formed Voltron, and then the real battle begun.

And hell arouse.

They didn’t know what hit them. Only screams could be heard then dead silence. _„Paladins! Shiro! Can you hear me?”_ – Aluura’s frantic voice was what woke them up after a long tense silence. But Volton was not operational.

Keith tried to call out to his lion but is not responded. Than he saw Thace was laying ont he cockpit’s floor, grunting in pain. His injuries are even more severe than before. When he wanted to got over and check on him, he suddenly felt immense pain all over his body. paralyzed by the pain. he clenched his teeth to hold back his scream, but the others still heard that something was wrong with him. He heard them asking if he is okay?? What’s wrong ?? but he coudln’t say a word. Just as suddenly as it came the pain, it went away.

_„I’m fine. But Thace will need a healing pod as soon as possible.”_

When Lance drew the attention of the others to the impending danger which it turned out to be Zarkon himself, they looked deep within themselves with the help of the princess. They called their lions. _„ Listen to me. You are true paladins now. Connect with your lions, Reache out to each other! Fight! This cannot end now!”_ said the Princess with such force in her voice if anybody hear her they thought there was nothing she would not be able to to.

While she protected the paladins and attacked Zarkon, no one expected to him to direct the attack back on a castle ship. There was a blood-curdling scream, And the Castel ship went down. „ _Allura!!”_ \- shouted Shiro, but nobody answered to him. The paladins silently, frightened, waited for someone to respond but no news was received from anyone. neither coran nor Kolivan or Antok.

The silence could only mean one thing, and everyone knew what it was.

_„Everybody, listen. We have to fight. We have to channel all our energy. Vizualizer five becoming one. We have to focus everithing we have into moving Voltron. We are the last thing standing int he way of Zarkon’s total universal domination. I’m not giving út that fight!”_ said Shiro in his best leader voice ever. „ Are xou Hunk?”

_„No”_

_„Pidge?”_

_„Never!”_

_„Lance?”_

_„Let’s go down swingin’”_

_„Keith?”_

_„I’m all in”_

After succesfuly awakening Voltron again the battle started. They fought hard and long, but Zarkon had the upper hand. They got zapped with Zarkon’s black bayard. Keith felt the pain spread more and more in his body. It penetrates almost to his soul. And Voltron fell apart.

\-------------------------___________________________________________---------------------------------

Meanwhile, although the paladins didn’t knew, Allura, Kolivan and Antok snuck up zarkon's ship and confronted haggar and the druids.the fight was intens, and Antok got hit by Haggar’s magic and one of the druids magic too. He collapsed.

________________________--------------------------------------------------------_____________________

Shiro woke up and saw the others loosing to Zarkon. Then the black lion showed him what he needed to do. He need the black bayard. So he concentrated his remaining power, and he broke through his boundaries, activatig Black most powerful weapon, the teleporting, and he got back the black bayard. And they formed Voltron again.

______________________----------------------------------------------------------________________________

 _„Altean?”_ said the princess but she got no answer but a sudden hit with the witch’s magic.

Haggar’s magic hit her hard. But the princess resisted hard and eventually managed to break the witch's blast. Glitering in a soft pink quintessence, she unleashed the strength that had accumulated in her, and destroying the place, while KOlivan get rid off the last Druid. Haggar fled before the place got totally destroyed.

_________________________--------------------------------------------------__________________________

_„Hello Paladins!”_ \- Coran’s cheerful voice gave new strenght to the Paladins. And to make sure everything was not perfect, at that moment Zarkon's ship was operational again.

They got a hit in but suddenly Zarkon get a hold of Voltron and with his quintessence he tried to blast them up. Then Shiro activated his bayard and awakend a nwe sword form. It was a flaming sword.

They Slashed Zarkon but the Blast was too poweful and Voltron fell apart again.

„ _Did we do it?_ ” Ask Lance through the comms. _„Is it over?_ ” said Hunk while watched the dark floatin remains of Zarkon’s armor.

„ _I have Allura, and the Blades. We Need to go!”_ urged them Coran. The Lions set out for the castle, but the red lion did not move.

 _„Something is wrong With Keith”_ said Shiro anxiously _„I going to get him back to the castle_ ”

When they landed in the castle’s hangar, everyone ran to the redlion. It laid on it’s side, with eyes dark and the jaw slack open.

Shiro got in first but sptpped suddenly, beacuse there was a body on the cockpit’s floor. A Galra man. Refelxively he got to an attacking stance but remebered that Keith said Thace is with him. He was unconscious. Than, he saw the red paladin int he seat unconscious too, but his body was twitchin with violet energi, and he saw blood flowed from his nose and mouth too.

„ _Come quickly we need the healing pods ready for Thace and Keith immediately!”_ \- shouted Shiro as the other get there.

No one wasted time. the two unconscious men were quickly pulled out of the red lion. Shiro took keith while Allura (because alteans were inhumanly strong) took Thace to the pods.

 _ **„please, please keith don’t give up. You have to survive!**_ ” thought Shiro alredy ont he edge of a panic attack. 

When the arrived Coran had already placed Antok in a pod and prepared the other two as well. They look horrible. Thace’s wound was druid make and and it was clear that he had been tortured for days.

Keith was in a horrible stat too. Too pale, stil twichting and the blood still hasen’t stopped.

They Put them in. Nobody said a word. There was nothing left but to wait.


	2. Recovering

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> While the paladins waiting for the wounded to wake up, they decide to celebrate the victory, after everyone is awake. Keith want to know more about his galra side, after discovering some changes in him and he make a decision, but a little afraide to ask for it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> aand chapter two. I didn't think I'd start writing so soon.It seems I'm a masochist

Coran twisted his mustache. _„Well…now all we can do is wait for the pods to heal number four and our Galra friends."_ Pidge looked to the pods worriedly. _„When will they come out?”_

_„Hmm… Antok should be out after a quintant, but Thace and number four need more time to heal. Two quintants if my calculating is correct. But the pods will alert us when there is only a varga left. „_

And suddenly Shiro collapsed.

 _„WHAT? WHY?”_ shouted Lance franticaly. _„Bring him to the table. Number two give me the scan.”_ The ginger Altean checked Shiro over and visibly relived.

_„He just exhauseted.”_

_„Well, everyone is. If there is nothing I can do, then I will now make up for my long-awaited beauti sleep. My skin won't get smooth on its own.”_ Shruged the cuban boy anf left the room.

„ _I recommend to everyone included you Princess, go and get some sleep. The war isn’t over just we defeted Zarkon. We will need our strength. Even if the next few days will be calm..”_ said kolivan with his face as neutral as ever. _„Your adviser and I supervise the castle, if it suits you.”_

Allura watched the older Galra for a tic, then nodded. _„yes. It suits me. Paladins, go get some rest. Coran, please show to Kolivan his sleeping quarter. You two need some rest too. Don’t over wprk yourselves.”_

The two older man just nodded and watch the others leave the room. Kolivan turned to the pods and just stared them. It was easy to guess what he was thinking, even if his face didn’t tell anything.

 _„Don’t worry! Your comrades will be fine.”_ Said to him the Altean men. _„I show your room then you can come back If you want.”_ The Galra didn’t said anything just nodded. Coran showed his room then left saying shomething about to checking the castle’s systems. He stood in his room facing the bed. His thoughts still int he medbay. He was worried about the other two Galra but his thoughts now revolved around the young paladin.

„ _It seems no one noticed the small changes on the boy. Maybe it isn't noticable to their eyes”_ His worry overtook him and he left the room, and started to walk back to the pods. _„It’s best if I pay attention to him. Just in case.”_

\------------------------------_____________________________________________-------------------------------

After one quintant the paladind and the Princess made sure that the castle and the lions are operational. Even the red lion could sit up to it usual position. 

_„Antok shoul be awake in a varga. Hunk could you make him something to eat? Kolivan can help you with what a galla can and cannot eat.”_ Anounced Allura. She still lokked a little tired, but her usual kind smile was on display and she insested that she is fine.

„ _yeah sure. ….If you don’t mind helping me_ ” looked the yellow Paladin anxiously in Kolivan’s direction. He could’t tell what the galra was thinking.

„ _yeah!! Hunk’s cooking!!! I am coming to. You can’t cook without your best food tasting buddy._ ” Said Lance and without waiting for an answer, he headed for the kitchen.

Hunk locked eyes with the Galra men then just shrugged. _„I show the way._ ” And the two of them left the lounge too.

Allura, Shiro, Pidge and Coran watched the display in silence….and a heavy sigh left Shiro’s mouth. He wanted to facepalm.

 _„I feel you man. Lance is really is a goofball”_ said the smallest paladin. „ _but now without him int he way. I wanted to discuss something with you all. I know that the war is not over yet, but I think we should celebrate this victory, after everyone got out the pods. We can prepar everything int he meantime_.

 _„It’s a wonderful idea Pidge. We Could decorate the Castle and celebrate with the other members of the voltron alliance. „_ Allura’s eyes almost shone with the thoughtof giving a bif fancy party.

„ _Um..Allura, I don’t want to make you sad but I think a big party would not be suitable. Just think back to what happend at Arus._ ” Shiro’s concerned voice was enough to wake Allura up from her pink bubble. _„ yes, yes you are right.”_ Said the altean with a sad smile on her face.

 _„But we can still decorate the castle. And throw a party just a smaller one. Only those who are here.”_ Smiled the black paladin to the Princess. She smiled back to him and in her mind she had already thought about what colors the castle would flaunt.

 _„I’m sure Lance would be happy to help you with that”_ said Pidge with a smug expession on her face. Allura quickly averted her gaze. A small blush on her cheeks.

She mumbled somethin about to look for the decotarions and left the room with Coran..

 _„Pidge it’s not appropriate to embarrass a princess.”_ Shiro’s face was dissapprovment itself but the corner of his mouth twitch upward a little.

 _„yeah, sure. I’m sorry……Space dad”_ ang Pidge run out of the lounge. Now when nobody saw him, he buried his face in his palm and a louder sigh left him.

\------------------------------________________________________________---------------------------------

After Antok woke up he and Kolivan went to the kitchen then they immediately got to work. They needed someone on the Marmora base to arrange everything for the next movements. They agreed thar Antok would go back to the base, while Kolivan would stay here, until Thace woke up.

The paladins and the Alteans prepared the castle for the party. Of course, Hunk was in charge of food, Lance and Allura decorated the lounge, and the dining room. Pidge, Coran get set up the sound and movie equipments, so they can play some Earth music anf film too. Shiro and Kolivan was in charge of the haevy lifting, if needed, but besides they didn’t have much to do. Kolivan sometimes got called over by Hunk to help him with the food testing .

They suddenly one of the pods indicated that it would open soon. With everything ready, they went to the pods and waited.

 _„Which one will be open?”_ Asked the green paladin anxiously placing her weight from one leg to the other. Hunk reassuringly out his hand on her soulder and smiled a little. Lance stood next to him, trying to look calm and collected but he was clearly just as worried as Pidge. Siro leand on the nearby wall his arms crossed. Waiting for the answer.

Coran and Allura was at the consol and readin the results. Kolivan close to them but not too close. His face didn’t show his fellings.

 _„it’s Thace’s_ ” came coran’s voice. Acknowledging his answer Kolivan got over to the pod ready to catch the other Galra when he fell out from it. Some ticks passed when the pod hissed and opend itself. Thace fell out straight to Kolivans arms.

Thace’s gaze was a little foggy, clearly still confused. He looked up and saw the Marmora leader. _„Leader…what happedn? Where is Keith? I remember we got out and the red lion caught us. Then that the paladins fought and we were hit by something but then nothing.”_

_„voltron were hit by the komar. And you fainted. The fight with Zarkon took out a lot from Voltron and you have been there in all along in the red lion. As for keith. He is right next to you. He is right next to you. He still hasn't awakened.”_

Thace looked to the side and saw the young man in the pod. Pale and very still. His heart clenched at the sight. It was unnatural. He just stared him long, not saying a word.

„ _khmm.. If you are feeling up to it then I show you around and update you with what happend in more detail.”_ Said Kolivan somehow awkwardly. And added just loud enoght that only the two of them could hear it „ _then you can come back stare the boy for as long as you want. I know you are worried and want to thank him, but you can’t anything while he is in the pod.”_

No one noticed the small blush on Thace cheeks except Kolivan.

When everyone was sure Thace was okay, the two Galra left the room. The others returned to their business, nervously waiting for keith to wake up

After kolivan showed him the most important places like the bridge, the lounge, the kitchen the dining room and where he will sleep, the man returned to the pods.

He just stood in the middle of the room for a while, then sighed and sat down in front of the only active pod, and looked up at the younger men. 

Now he can take a closer look at the young man, who has stubbornly insisted on saving his life and has been succesful at the task. In the heat of the fight, he didn’t have a chance toreally look at the redpaladin. Aside from the fact that traces of the battle were still visible, it was clear how young he really is. In fact, all the paladins were very young, almost even children. Even Shiro can only be called an adult with benevolence.

His skin a pale peach color, paler than anybody int he castle. He had never met a creature with such a light skin. It was so different from his own deep purple skin and fur. The red paladin’s body was bare. Only his head had something resemblint to his fur, but at a closer look he guesd it has to be different. It’s dark color sttod against his pale skin beautifuly. unfortunately he couldn't see his eyes but he remembered how sharp the boy's gaze was. And he remembered that the sclera is white, not yellow like any other galra, or half galra. It’s hard to believe Keith is half-galra just when you look at his appearance. But you must have some galra blood in you to awake a luxit blade. Maybe the human genes are just really dominant.

Thace was so in deep in his thoughts, when the pod beeped indicating that in 1 varga it inmate may come out.

**_„still 1 varga…I should tell the others.”_ **

He left the room and told them that Keith wiil be put in 1 varga, and he went back to the pod.

\---------------------------------------_________________________________------------------------------------------

It made him feel like when you waking up from a long and deep dream. Your consciousness is still foggy. Then he just felt like he would fall down, and get prepared for the collision, when he was stopped by strong arms. One flesh and one metal.

 _„shi..shiro?”_ **_god, my voice is hoarse._**

 _„ hey buddy. How are you feeling?”_ said Shiro with a tender smile on his lips. Keith felt a slight pain in the end of his fingers and his gums, but he ignored it. **_It’s just some after effect”_**

„ _I’m fine. What happend? Where is Thace?”_ keith searched the room with his eyes until he finally saw Thacet standing not far behind the paladins, in the company of Kolivan. until he finally saw Thacet standing not far behind the paladins, in the company of Kolivan. He wanted to ask how it was when Lance pushed into his face.

„ Hey Mullet are you really okay? You just stared at nothing. Did you heard what I asked at all? I asked if you are hungry, because we will throw a party when you get out of that awful pod suit.”

Keith frowned. Can’t the cuban boy just be just a little quieter? His ears are too sensitive for his shouting.

 _„ Lance be patient. Keith should eat something first and if he feels he will come to the party_.” Shiro’s stern face made no room to more complaints, but the blue paladin was relentless. _„ he can eat at the party.”_

when everybody calmed down an Siro walked Keith to his room. _" came to the dining room when you feel ready. Hunk made food. You really should eat something."_ Said the black paladin, then turnd to the door but stopped just right before it. he looked to Keith _"it's good to have you back"_

 _ts's good to be back"_ answered the younger men. When Keith was just taking off the pod suite, he heard a knock on the door.

He didn’t have time to speak up, the door opend and revealed Thance bihind it. They locked eyes for a moment, then. No one could speak a word. Then Thace suddenly left without a word.

„ ** _Just what the quiznak happend?”_**

When he changed his clothes he went out and joined to the others in the dining room. Everybody was there already. Allura, Coran and the paladins sat in their usual places. Kolivan took a seat next to Shiro, and Thace was sitting next to Kolivan, juts opposite his usual place.

Then the party begun. After Allura’s toast, Hunk served the food.. Everybody felt delighted and after some time the party mooved to the loung.

_______________________-------------------------------------------------__________________

Coran, Pidge and Allura was sitting near the tables and they had a deep conversation with each other. Hunk and Lance had a discussion in the corner about whether Cuban or Samoan food was better. Shiro and Kolivan had an in-depth conversation about the best strategies, on the couch.

Keith leaned against the wall and looked at the others. His fingers and gums were still aching.

_„Can I join to you?” Ask Thace, with an easy exression on his face. „I wanted to speak with you earlier when I went to your room.. I’m sorry I didn’t waited to your invitation.”_

„ _It’s okay. I wanted to speak with you too_.”

„ _How’re you feeling_? _What Kolivan told me about the fight you took your share fairly_.” Leaned his hand next to Keith’s head. His posture relaxed.

 _„You too”_ smirked a little Keith when he looked up tu the taller men. Than a sudden pain pierced his fingers. „ _oww..”_ said keith while clenching his fingers, hoping the pain will subside.

_„ what’s wrong?” asked concerned the galra men and took Keith hand in his, examining his fingers._

_„nothing. Just a little sore after being in the healing pod for so long. It will pass”_ keith face was an unreadable mask.

________________________----------------------------------------------________________________

When Lance looked aroud the room, he nearly tripped over. He frantically gesticulated for Hunk who was finally looking in the direction the Cuban boy was pointing. And his chin fell. He couldn’t speak a word even if he wanted to.

While he was in shock Lance went over to where Kolivan and Shiro sat on the couch. Easily slide next to the black paladin and draped one arm over the older men’s shoulder.

_„sooo, oh fearless leader of mine. Did you know that Mullet over there and Our new purple alien friens are flirting with each other? Because if not I’ll eat Coran’s paladin meal alone and never say a wrong word aboud it ever again.”_

The two older men looked him like he just lost his mind completly. _„what are you talking about Lance?”_

 _„just look at that for a moment and you’ll immediately understand.”_ Lance raised his eyebrows and nodded towards to where Keith and Lance stood.

Shiro just took a síp from his drink and looked where Lance wanted to him to look. He spat out his drink and then had a coughfit immediately. There stood Keith leand on the wall, Thace hoverin clos to him, one of his hand ont he wall near Keith’s head, the other he held Keith’s hand.

Kolivan just raised an eyebrow not unterstandig what was so special about their position. It was clear to him that Thace just check Keith's hand for some reason. Like a fellow Blade would do to anyone in their ranks. 

After midnight that is as far as it could be calculated in space, Allura and Shiro sent the paladins and the guests to sleep.

When Keith got back to his room he laid on his bed but couldn’t speel. His mind wide awake. He knew now now that they had defeated Zarkon, they would have a little more time than before. Pidge declaired that she would look for her family. Allura and Shiro will deal with the political relations.

But what would he do? He wanted to know more about himself. Kolivan said to him that he welcomed him to the Blades till he gat to know himself and his Galra side more. Provided he can follow his orders, and commands.

 ** _„What will the others think if I join to the Blades? Would they be mad at me or would they support me?”_** His thoughts was a mess. He just laid on his bed wide awakr till his made up his mind.

_____________________________------------------------------------------------_________________________________

In the morning when everyone arrived on the bridge Allura turned to the other „ Now that everyone is here I want to discuss some important thing about the alliance with a view to the future.”

„ _wait Allura”_ said Keith suddenly _„Befor we start I wantet to tell you guys something.”_ He took a deep breath _„ I thought about it a lot. I want to go with Kolivan to the Blade of marmora. I wan to learn mora about myself. About me being galra. I…I know it’s a selfish request and the universe still need Voltron and I won’t quit being a paladin but…but I feel if I don’t go now then I wont’t have another chance.”_

Ther was a heavy silence, then there was a long sigh from shiro.

„ _Of course you can go with them. We would never stop you from learning more about yourself.”said the black paladin with a relived expression on his face. „ And I thought you wanted to announce something else._ ”

Keith looked confused „ _What else would I be wanted to announce?”_

„ _NOTHING!!!_ ” shouted Lance and quickly averting his gaze while faking whistling.

„ _Keith, we need to discuss this in more detail we'll need a new schedule. And we need to know that Kolivan agrees to this.”_ Said the Princess.

„ _yes. Keith can leave with us this at the end of this quintant.”_ said Kolivan, his ever neutral face not reveling his thoughts.

 _„wery well. Now If nobody want to announce something else we should begun with our schedule and discuss some political issues.”_ Allura put up a map and started her speach.

Keith didn’t pay attension completly. His thoughts were alredy wandering around the new adventure.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There will be an art too, but I'm still working on it.  
> Feel free to leave a comment :)


	3. changes

After they arrived to the Blade base and they showed him the places he has free access to go in, like the training decks, dining hall, the meeting room, the med bay and the hangar.

The sleeping quarters was on the other part of the base. It was like some dorm or something with a difference that only one person slept in a room.

Now Keith was sitting on his bed. It didn’t take long to unpack, being that he only brought his civil clothes with him. He left the paladin armor in the castle. They agrred to him spendig 1 phoeb with the Blades, than he spend 1 phoeb in the castle. If there is an emergency with the paladins, Allura would open a wormhole for him, and he could go to help the others immediately.

He got a communicator from Pidge which could not be traced.he decided he wouldn’t use it if it was not vital.

He still have some time until the meeting with Kolivan and the other Blade, when there was a knock on his door. He locked it preveiously and nobody could open it from outside except the leadre, his second in command, the cheif technician and Ulaz, who it turned out to be the cheif doctor.

He went to the door and opend it.

 _„I see, you locked the door. But I’m not surprised. Especially after what happened at the castle. The Galras are not praticularly shy about our body._ ” Thace smiled at him after his monologe. „do you have time?’

 _„ yeah, I have 2 and a half varga till the meeting. Do you need something”_ keith couldn’t imagine what would want the oldet galra from him.

 _„well it’s not me. Ulaz sent me to ask you to come to the medbay if you are free. He need to some basic test for your medical cardboard. We don’t know much about humans, just what Coran sent from the castle. And since you are the only human-galra hybrid we are aware of so Ulaz want to speak with you.”_ Now Thace seemed to be a little embarassed by the long explanation.

 _„I understand. I’ll go than.”_ said Keith a little tense. He wasn’t fond of the medical check ups.

Thace stood out of the way and waited for Keith. they walk together to the med bay. They dind’t talk, but the silence was not uncomfortable. Keith didn’t liked small talks, and the older men didn’t seem to bothered by the silence. They talked enough at the party to make sure such situations wans’t awkward.

The galra didn’t seemed like an overly talkative species anyway. From this thought Keith was a little relived. „ ** _At least I won't stand out with that_** ”.

When they got to the med bay the door suddenly opend and fell out of it someone with

When they wanted to walk in the door, they unexpectedly bumped into someone. Although his face could not be seen because of the mask, it was clear that the alien was trying to escape. Inside, he could hear Ulaz shouting

 _"Regris, if you hide an injury once more and let it heal in the wrong way, I swear I'll break your other bones too!"_ now Keith knew the name of the masked Blade member.

Without wasting time, Regris hid behind Thace's back from of the data pad that was thrown at him. Thace caught it with a practiced move,

“ _You need to stop throwing your data pad at him or all the budgets will go to your new data pads Ulaz. “_ then he looked behind his back to the smaller Blade with a disapproving look on his face.

_“Don’t tell me what I should do with my belongings!”_

Regris looked at Keith for some help, but he couldn’t help with that because Keith was like that too. He hide his injures too usually. He wanted to say something, when Ulaz noticed him.

“ _Ah Keith! I see Thace wasn’t completely useless and he brought you here.”_ Said Ulaz with a calm look on his face. Keith fought a lot of empire soldiers but no one was as frightening as an angry Ulaz. The difference between the two moods was astounding. _“Come in and take a seat.”_

Now that the attention has turned to him, Regris got the chance and run away. Keith went into the room and sat down on the examination table.

“ _Please undress to the waist_ ” said the white haired galra while he prepared his tools. “ _Thace go out! It has nothing to do with you. I need to be alone with Keith.”_ Said the doctor and throw a stern look in Thace direction.

When Thace left the room and Ulaz finished his preparation he started the examination. After some usual questions like how old is he, did he had any surgery, has he any permanent illness or is he allergic to something. (“Not like I know what I might be allergic to out here in space” told him Keith with a ‘are you seriously asking me that?’ look on his face )

After the questions, some physical surveys followed.

 _“I need some blood sample too. I want to study you DNA and your quintessence level. After that you are free to go.”_ Ulaz took his sample and let him dress while the doctor asked some more question.

 _“Do you have any problem now?”_ he thought about lying to him but then he remembered Regris and changed his mind. Better be on the right side of the doc for now.

_“I….um..Sometimes, I feel pain in the ends of my fingers and..and in my gums.”_

_“Pain? I guess this is not normal for human if you told me. Since when?”_

_“Since I come out of the healing pod. I thought it was some side effect, but it did not go away. “_

_“Do you feel any restriction when you eat or grab something?”_ Ulaz’s face was serious.

He shook his head _. “it’s just really annoying_.”

_“hmmm…I’ll look closely at the blood sample I took. I have an idea what might be causing it, but I don’t want to say anything until I’m not sure. I will call you when the tests are complete. You can go now.”_

The young Blade left the room and check the time. The meeting will start in 15 doboshes. He has to hurry if he want to make it in time. When he turned in the right corridor, he almost bumped into someone. **_“I need to stop this”_** thought irritatedly

“ _Oh Keith hi. Sorry I didn’t see you._ ” It was Regris of course. _”We need to stop bumping to each other otherwise the others will laugh at us.”_ Said the tailed galra. _“Are you heading to the meeting too?”_ Keith just nodded. _“Then let’s go together”_

When they arrived everyone was there already except Kolivan. Regris stood close to him. Nothing could be read from his face, but the end of his tail twitched excitedly. Sometimes it rubbed against Keith's side accidentally. They just hat to wait a few doboshes for Kolivan. The meeting was long and not particularly interesting because Kolivan just described what they had discussed with Allura earlier in the castle. He already knew it. He felt as if he had been watched so he looked around the room. No one was looking him directly, but it was hard to tell when a lot of galra didn’t have visible pupil. Kolivan made a little growl to draw everyone’s attention to him again.

When the meeting ended and they was free to go it was already diner time. Keith headed to the dining room. For some reason, Regris decided to join him. It didn’t bothered him. Regris talked a lot if you left him do but his voice was pleasant and not to loud. It seemed Keith’s silence didn’t bothered him either. He showed him his favorite foods. He learned that he was also a hybrid and that he was not much older than him. But he had been with the bleads for some time, and that he attended to Keith’s trial. _“Don’t tell anyone that I told you. It supposed to be a secret”_ whispered to him the tailed galra.

 ** _“How can he be a spy if he likes to gossip so much?”_** thought Keith, when a sudden pain shoot in his gums.

 _“Tch…again”_ murmured to himself and he unconsciously got his hand to his mouth. He felt something poking his gums and he tasted blood in his mouth. And he swallowed automatically. He felt something solid within the blood-salvia combo. 

_“What’s wrong? Are you in pain? OH STARS! Are you allergic to that food? I need to get Ulaz”_ Regris have already stood up, when Keith grabbed him by the arm and stopped him.

 _“No it’s not that. I’m fine_.”

 _“Are you sure? Want me to check it for you?”_ asked the other hybrid, but he didn’t waited for Keith’s answer and forced his mouth open and tilted his heat to the light for better vision.

 _“it’s normal to humans to grow new canines randomly?”_ Regris face was confused. Keith blood run cold..” ** _what?”_**

He shook his head. It wasn’t normal at his age…maybe he should tell Ulaz…or not. His gums didn’t hurt anymore.

Regris released his head and sat down again. _“You should rest early”_ told him in an uncharacteristically stern voice. **_“He is such a worrywart_** “thought amused the black haired man.

 _“I’m fine. Really. Don’t worry so much._ ”

\----------------------------------_____________________________________-------------------------------------

Ulaz and Thace was sitting in their usual place in the dining room, when they noticed the two youngest Blade members sit down some tables away. The lighter colored galra not paid much attention to them, but Thace couldn’t take off his eyes of the pair.

 _“haahhh…please stop staring the boy already.”_ Sigh Ulaz.

 _“I am not staring.”_ Said defensively.

 _“Really? Then what are you doing now and at the med bay? And at the meeting too? Even Kolivan noticed.”_ Said unimpressed the doc. _“I know you are worried for him some reason, but it won’t do him any good if you just stare him. Go and talk to him or something. And if you don’t want to then leave him. I can tell he is still not fully comfortable in here. He didn’t said it but I know.”_

Thace didn’t said anything. They continued their meal when the doctor became alerted suddenly. He followed his gaze and he almost got a heart attack. For some reason Regris forced Keith mouth open and.. ** _there is blood in it???_**

He turned to Ulaz to do something, but the doctor just sat in there fully composed. When he turned to the pair again he saw Keith shake his head and he seemed fine. He looked a little ruffled if you ask him, but since the boy was already walking out the room hi couldn’t do anything. He wanted to go after him and asked if he was alright, but after Ulaz speech and not knowing the right human custom in such situation, he sat down again.

\----------------------------------__________________________________________-----------------------------

When he got in his room, he went in the small attached bathroom and looked in the mirror. His canines was still small, but looked sharp. And felt too. **_“I wonder how long does it take to it to grow properly.”_**

Keith took a quick shower and went to bed. He was almost asleep when his Voltron communicator started to vibrate. It wasn’t an emergency because then Kolivan would call me first. It is how they agreed with the Princess. He ignored it. Just too tired for it. It went off after some minute and he fell asleep immediately.

He had a restless night. He waked up multiple times. His canines pulsed and his fingernails ached too. He got up 1 varga earlier than planned and went in the bathroom. Hi looked in the mirror and his breath caught. His canines grown fully while the night period ** _. “It was fast…well at least I didn’t have to wait long. But fuck it hurted like bitch”_**

He check his nails too. Already prepared for some changes ** _._** _”yup…just as I thought. Longer and sharper…guess It’s some galra thing…but it still creepy.”_ he clenched his fist at the thought and yeah. It was a bad idea. Now he cut his palm. _“tch ..I need to get used to this quickly or I can’t even hold my blade.”_

He got dressed when his blade communicator beeped. It was from Ulaz.it said when hi have free time he should take a visit. The results have come. When he got to the mad bay the galra was sitting at his table reading some document. _“Keith. You are early.”_ Said the man _“I didn’t expected you until after breakfast…you don’t skipping meals are you?”_ asked the man unimpressed to the thought.

_“No I woke up early so I decided to come before breakfast if it not a problem for you.”_

_“No. no. take a seat. We need to discuss your results. “_ Ulaz was full professional now. _“Well, you are healthy, as far as I can tell, but your quintessence are a little instable. And I have a guess what causes this. And what the consequences may be. But first of all, open your mouth. I saw you yesterquintent at the dining hall. I’m not impressed with you, not coming to me for a checkup.”_ If look could kill…thought the younger man and opened his mouth. _“Hmm just as I thought. Your nails too. Show me them. Yes now it certain. “_

He let go his hands and went back to his desk for his data pad. _“Because of your instable quintessence your results suggest that your body will go through some changes. I examined your blood and it seems your recessive galra DNA was triggered by something. Do you have any idea what caused it?_ ” he shook his head and waited to the explanation. _“I asked Kolivan if you got in contact with any pure quintessence, and he told me about the komar incident. My theory is that when the witch hit you with that weapon and sucked out some of your quintessence, your body responded to the shock by using the quintessence in the recessive genes to survive.”_

_“Oh…well it makes sense to me. I’m not a doctor or biologist, hell I not even know how this quintessence and all that magic things works but I felt something at that moment. Like something had been pulled out of me.”_

_“So until your quintessence not stabilizes other changes may occur. I need you to take it seriously. If you encounter other changes, even the smallest, you’ll tell me immediately.AM. I. CLEAR?”_ asked Ulaz like a really tired parent would.

 _“yeah, I_ _promise_ ” nodded hastily Keith.

Keith went to grab some breakfast and went to training. He spared with some other blades

His days was not particularly interesting. Wake up, eat, train, meetings, some mission with other blades, check up by Ulaz, eat, shower, and sleep. Rinse and repeat. His permanent company was Regris, but sometime Thace, Ulaz and even Antok spent time with him. He got to know them better and some strange bond formed between the 5 of them. Even Kolivan was less strict with him when the others was around and he got time and could eat with them.

So 10 quintats passed in this strange mood, when he got a call from Kolivan. He has a mission for him and Regris. They needed to check out some abandoned empire facilities with leftover quintessence within it.

One of the last sectors of the base they needed to check out was some kind of lab. It was a druid lab. In the room was an examination table, ont he right side of the room was some kind of controling panel with cabels plugged into it. The cabels were connected to the containers. Some of the containers was empty, some would containd the glossy liquid.

Even with the place clearly abbadoned since some time already the room’s atmosphere was still disquienting and creepy. Regris went to the controlin panel to collect some data , keith would got some samples of the liquid. He went to the containers when suddenly a dark figure moved in the shadow. They weren’t alone.

He wanted warn his partner while he grabbed his blade but the dark figure suddenly shoot out a black-purple energy beam to him and he got tossed by it to the wall. **_“IT IS A DURID!!”_**

“ _Keith!”_ Shouted Regris, and grabbed his own blade and attacked the druid. The druid easily dodge the attacks. He played with Regris. It was clear the he couldn’t win alone, so Keith tried to attack it’s back when the creature was not paying attention to him. But the druid turn suddenly to him and shoot another attack at him, but Keith was prepared and dodged it and instead of him it hit a full container. The glass exploded and the quintessence completely soaked him.

_“KEITH!!”_

But Keith couldn’t hear him anymore. All he knew pain and pain and it hurts, huts, **HURTS SOOO MUCH**

Keith was laying on the floor and screamed painfully. Not aware of himself and his surroundings. The druid got distracted for a tikk and Regris could stab it in his back. The druid disappeared while screaming.

 _“Keith! Are you hear me? Keith! Keith!!”_ shouted Regris frantically. Panic clear in his voice. When the younger blade stopped the screaming he went limp. He fainted. He quickly collected some quintessence and the mini data pad, then he throw the unconscious man on his shoulder and begun to run back to their ship. Keith still unconscious.

Regris started the shuttle and connected with the base _. “Kolivan! The base was a trap. We collected everything we need but Keith got hit by a lot of quintessence and he is in pain and now he fainted. I don’t know what happened to him but he need immidient medical treatment when we are back. We are in halfway right now. 30 doboshes and we are back.”_

 _“I’ll tell Ulaz to be ready for your arriver. Are you need medical treatment too?”_ asked Kolivan. His face unreadable. _“No, leader.”_

“Copy that. We are waiting for you.” Kolivan ended the call. Regris looked back to where Keith was lying on the floor. Still unconscious but now he was twitching. **_“Not good. We need to hurry”_**

When they arrived into the base’s hangar, Antok practically tore open the door and went to the younger boy immediately. Then he lifted the boy and run straight to the med bay. Regris close behind. Ulaz ushered everyone out and got to work immediately.

\------------------------------------------_________________________________---------------------------------

Regris refused to leave Keith’s side. He stood out of Ulaz’s way but didn’t leave the room. It was his fault. If he just check out the lab before they got in there, maybe the druid couldn’t surprised them.

If he were a better fighter, then Keith would not have had to hurry to his aid.

\-------------------------------------------_________________________________----------------------------------

Thace was frantic. All he knew was that Keith and Regris's mission ended in a fight and Keith was injured. Nothing else. When he got to the med bay Ulaz already finished his examination and now he was resting. Keith laid on one of the beds. Even paler than ever before. Regris was sitting next to the bed. Still in his suit but his was deactivated. Worry clear on his face. His tail shook to one side to the other.

 ** _“Maybe I shouldn’t bother them.”_** Thought Thace bitterly. He was clearly aware that the two of them are close to each other. **_“At least I should let him know if they needs something I’m there for them.“_** So he went to Regris’s side and put his hand on the smaller Blade’s shoulder.

 _“Are you alright?”_ asked him. _“I’m sorry what happened. If I can do something for you or your mate, just say so.”_

Regris went rigid and nearly chocked on his breath in the same time.”Wh..khm khm what are you talking about? My mate? Who is my mate?” OH STARS!! Are you talking about Keith? We..we are not mated. Quiznak Thace what are you talking about?” Regris was so confused he totally forgotten where he was and he shouldn’t shouting his thoughts out. 

Thace face was surprise and confusion itself. “oh..I..I thought… But you two are so close. I’m sorry for my assumption ** _.” So..they aren’t tohether, than what are they for each other?”_**

_“No he..he is like a little brother to me. I…I lost my family because of Zarkon. This is why I joined to the Blade.”_

_“I see. Well my offer is still standing though”_ regris just nodded. When Thace left the room, he felt relived for some reason. He couldn’t name the feeling(s) what he felt…

_________________---------------------------------------------------------_________________________-----

Three quintants passed and Keith was still asleep. His appearance change and no one could tell how the man will react when he wakes up.

Ulaz was sitting at his table and reading some reports, when he heard a faint growl from Keith’s bad. He went to the bay and check on him.

____________---------------------------------------------------------------------------------__________________

The side of his head hurt a little and his vision bas blurred. When it cleared he saw Ulaz standing next to him, but the colors was…different. They was more vivid than before.

 _“…Ulaz”_ his voice hoarse. _”what happened? Are we faild the mission? Where’s Regris?”_

 _“No. it was successful. Regris is okay. What are you remember?”_ asked the doctor in a soft voice.

_“I…I remember to the lab and then we fought with a druid and I got hit with his power but then nothing. I fainted?”_

_“One of the druid’s attack broke a container of quintessence. You have been exposed to a large amount of quintessence. And there were consequences.”_ The lighter galra’s voice was uncharacteristically careful.

_“…what?”_

_“…well, your quintessence has been stabilized by it but… you gained some more galra features. May I give you a mirror?”_

**_“god please, just don’t be completely purple.”_** he nodded but his hands trembled a little when he took over the mirror from Ulaz.

He looked his image in the mirror and his breath caught in him. In the first few tikks, neither of them dared to move of say something. His first inner thought was he felt relived. He wasn’t completely purple. Then he look at himself for more detail. Generally he didn’t changed too much. He still looked himself, but the changes, (though not so many), were striking. He got some purple markings on his cheeks which went down from his eyes to the side of his face and neck then disappeared into his hospital dress. They certainly continued on other parts of his body. His ears were more pointed. And the point was purple too. ** _”pffm..like some elf or something”_** his cacines and nails..claws weren’t a new thing but his eyes…” **_it takes a while for to get used to it”._** Luckily he still have irises and pupils, though the color was more vivid than before. But the sclera! His scleras was yellow. So quiznaking galra like. They were lighter than a regular galra eye but still yellow.

Ulaz still didn’t said anything so Keith decided it has to be him who’ll must break the ice.

_“well..I need some time to get used to them but I think I’m not changed too lot. I’s still my face.”_

_“haaahh thank the ancients. I was worried about how you would react”_ the doctor’s posture went relaxed. _“How are you feeling?”_ keith shook his head.

_“I’m fine. The colors are more vivid than before, and my hearing is a lot better. I will be able to see in the dark?”_

_“Probably. If you are encounter anything that worries you or hurt you need to tell me immediately. And I need a new blood sample too.”_

When Ulaz contacted to Kolivan that Keith is awake and feeling fine, he let him go back to his room, he wondered how the paladins and the two alteans will react when he’ll go back to the castle. It something to know you are part of the race you’re at war with and an entirely different thing to look like them. But he still got some more quintants to think about it. By then he will get used to his new look too.

Suddenly his communicator ring and Kolivan’s face appeared _. “Keith! You needed at the castle immediately it’s an emergency! The princess will open a wormhole in 5 doboshes. Get ready to immediate departure. The black paladin is missing. I send you the details”_ the leader ended the call.

His blood run cold. **_“Shiro!!”_**

**__ **


	4. unexpected

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> some unexpected thing happenn

In 15 doboshes Keith arrived to the castle thank to the wormhole. In the 15 doboshes he got prepared for the others reactions about his new look. He landed his shuttle in the hangar and took a deep breathe before he left the ship.

Everyone was there to greet him.

" _Keith I am glad that you-_ " but Allura couldn’t finish her sentence because Keith deactivated his mask. The silence was heavy. Keith's face fall.

_"Um.. Something happened and now.. This is my new look._ " he felt awkward.

_"Why couldn’t you grow big and fluffy ears at least? I wanted to pet them_ " said lance with a fake indignation, like the drama Queen he is.

_"LANCE"_ said everyone at the same time. _“What now? I know you too wanted to pet them if he turned into some purple space cat.”_

_“Well at least you aren't purple completely.”_ Deadpanned Pidge

_"Hell yeah and I still taller than you"_ the blue paladin smug face was all Keith needed to snap out his initial shock.

_"Aren’t we have a more urgent thing to do?"_

Allura snapped out her shock _"yes. Yes you are right. We need to save Shiro."_

They went to the bridge and allure put on a picture of a brownish yellow planet.

_"This is planet Ughuur. The ughuurians are a little self-contained but not mistrustful well at least that is what is in the castle's database. They wanted to join to the Coalition so they connected to us. Shiro went there to discuss the details with them but we never received his report. We know he landed safely and contacted with the ughuurians but then nothing. We couldn’t contacted him. The black lion is still there but not responding so Shiro isn't with it."_ Allura’s explanation was the same as what Kolivan had sent him _." and we received a video message from the Ughuurians while you were on your way here but.. "_

She played the video to him. Haggar's hooded figure appeared on the screen. Behind her stood two druid and on the floor knelt Shiro. His head lowered.

„ _Greetings paladins of Voltron and the alteans princess. We captured the black paladin. Give me Voltron and I'll spare his life. Until you decide what his and your fate is, I'll make good use of him ... Again."_

Their blood boiled with badly repressed anger on their faces.

_„We need to get him quickly. His capture was awful at the first time and I don't want him to relive it again.„_ said Keith. His hands trembled with anger and worry.

„Exactly. It is clear it's a trap and that Haggar is planning something. From the data in the video, we can find out where it was sent from. Shiro will be there too. There’s probably a hidden galra base down there. We need to be careful.

They immediately got to work. Allura would try and contact with the ughuurians again while Keith and Pidge would check on the black lion. She can share her lion's cloaking but only with one lion at the time. When the black lion is secured, Hunk and Lance would land at the place sent by the Ughuurians previously. While they seize the enemy, Pidge and Keith sneak into the base and find Shiro. Get him go back to the black lion, form Voltron and save the ughuurians if there are any at all.

They arrived to the black lion and relived when there weren’t any galra soldier on sight. Black was sitting proud on the ground but her shield was on.

_"Odd, but at least she is safe like this."_ said Pidge _"we need to hurry."_

_"Lance, Hunk start the Diversionary operation we are sneaking into the base."_

_"Copy that"_ said the tow man.

\-------------------------------------_____________________________________-------------------------------------

Shiro opened his eyes and panicked immediately. He couldn’t move his arms and legs. The room was dimly lit but he knew where he was. **_“It's a druid lab! No! I need to get out of here now!”_** he tried to stretch the clamps but they didn’t move at all. He felt weak.

“ _It’s useless. We won’t let you escape again.”_ A cold voice said from a dark corner of the lab. Shiro turned his head to the direction of the voice and saw a druid standing there watching him. _“The high priestess will come soon. We will sedate you so you can’t try something stupid. ”_ Stated the blank masked figure and injected him with something than vanished. Shiro couldn’t stay awake. His eyelids felt heavy and soon darkness swallowed his consciousness.

\-------------------------------------_______________________________________--------------------------------

While Hunk and Lance distracted the soldiers, the red and the green paladin sneaked into the base. The first few corridors was an easy task. Only a few sentry was an patrol because of the attack Pidge captured one of the sentries and got in it’s data base, and they learned from it where Shiro was being held. When they got closer of the center of the base the defense was getting stronger. They arrived to the location the corridor was empty and dead quiet.

_“It’s a trap. They want us to in and they know we have no choice. Be ready!”_ said Keith. His posture tense face, serious. Pidge nodded their Bayards in hand and they ran to the door, Keith put his hand on the opening panel. Just as they thought in the lab there was two druid.in the lab’s center laid Shiro on an examination table unconscious. The druids attacked immediately. Keith held himself well against one of them, it wasn’t his first fight against a druid, but pidge was losing. She laid on the floor her Bayard just out of reach. Keith took out his Marmora blade too, and with a surprise attack, he throw it to the other druid. It drilled into the creatures left shoulder. Seeing on opening Pidge regained her weapon and immediately shocked her opponent to death. Meanwhile Keith stabbed his in the chest with a fierce growl in his throat.

_“We don’t have much time I am sure there are more of them. Help with the shackles”_ ordered Keith and they released the black paladin. His newfound galra strength he could lift the unconscious man up on his back. Pidge’s eyes widened and she opened her mouth to aske something but Keith cut in. _“no time for weird questions!”_ the girl just nodded but he could tell as soon as they are safe she will ask all of her questions.

_“Lance hunk, we got Shiro, we’re on our way out. How’s your situation?”_ asked Keith in his helmet comm.

_“You need to hurry, Allura is helping us but we can’t hold up much longer.”_ Shouted Lance. His voice tens breathing hard. 

_“Copy that. Ten more doboshes and we are at Black._ ” When they arrived to the Black lion the shield went down. The green paladin got in her lion immediately, and Keith got Shiro into red. They lifted the black lion and switched to full speed _. “We have Shiro and Black. On our way back to the castle. Shiro is still unconscious. We can’t form Voltron. What should we do now Allura?”_

_“Pidge can you scan the base for any ughuurians?” “On it”_ a few tikks passed _” there are no more life form except the galra” “copy that. Everyone get back. I’m opening a wormhole!”_ Allura’s voice was firm. Hunk and Lance stopped attacking the base and started to head back. The princess opened a wormhole and everyone went through it. When they was finally in safety and landed the lions in the hangars, the princess and Coran prepared the med bay and one healing pod for Shiro. There was no sight of external injury but with the druids no one could be cautious enough.

_„_ _do not worry my paladins! Number one will be out in a few varga, good and fresh like a K’meakha after a rainy day.”_ No one know what a k’meakha was and if the altean man was thinking of the rain on Altea then he did not reassure anyone. _“I suggest everyone should be relax a bit while we waiting for Shiro.”_

_“Yeah, I think I’ll bake something. I need to calm down.”_ Said hunk his voice still trembling with adrenalin. Lance went with the yellow paladin mentioning something about tasting buddy and creaming. Pidge declared she will take a long shower and check on the lions later. Coran left the room with her. Keith still stood before the pod watching Shiro’s form. The princess was behind him near the controlling panel seemingly uneasy.

_“…Keith, I want to talk with you, if you don’t mind.”_ Her voice was tense. The boy automatically tensed, his defense already up. It was clear what Allura want to talk with him. He didn’t forgotten her face when he arrived back to the castle this quintant. His turned to the princess face unreadable.

_“I…I want to apologize for my behavior. I did not responded well, to your…new look. I am sorry. I just..I really was surprised. I didn’t expected your new appearance. It won’t happen again. And I want you to know, that I still consider you as a family member and a friend and a wonderful red paladin. Can you forgive me?_ “ asked hesitantly but smiling the white haired woman.

_“Yeah...of course…I should have warned you before or something.”_ said Keith, his shoulder relaxed a little. **_“so she won’t make me go away…”_**

_“If you don’t mind, may I ask what happened?”_ seeing the hesitation on his face, she quickly added _. ” You don’t have to answer if you don’t want to. I just wanted to be certain that you are alright.”_

The boy huffed a little seeing how embarrassed the princess is. _“No it’s not a problem. I..well Ulaz Ulaz did some basic tests when I arrived at the Marmora base and found that my quintessence was unstable. He concluded that it may have been because of the Komar. My recessive galra genes was triggered by it. My teeth and nails changed a little on the base, but the other changes was after I got soaked by a lot of pure Quintessence one of the missions. My body couldn’t handle it and well..you see the result.”_

_“pure quintessence! Oh stars! It must be painful. Are you sure you are okay?”_ her worry was adorable.

_“yeah I’m fine. I slept it out, and I gained some useful skills.”_ Said Keith with a little smirk on his lips.

The princess relaxed completely and smiled at him. A real smile. _“Well, I am glad you are alright. If there's anything I can do for you, let me know. And if you feel something is wrong with your quintessence come to me immediately! I may not be fully trained but I am still an alchemist. I can help you.”_

_“Sure. I will contact you if there is a problem.”_ Then Keith shoot her a little smile of his _“I’ll contact Kolivan and update him. I’ll ask him to let me stay a little longer.”_ And he left the room. He went back to his room and contacted Kolivan. He got permission to stay until everything is back to normal at the castle.

After a few varga later Coran called everyone to the pod, Shiro would come out in a few dobosh. Than the pod opened and Shiro fell out of it, right into Keith’s and Lance’s arms- because “I am the one catching Shiro” said the Cuban boy, but Keith just shrugged. Shiro regained his senses and tensed up immediately when his eyes landed on Keith’s face. But after a few moments he relaxed and after they were sure he was fine they went to the kitchen and ate hunk’s cake. They was sitting in the lounge now. Shiro went to sit next to Keith.

_“I’m sorry for what happened at the pod. I..I don’t know what should I say._ ” confessed the older man.

_“It’s okay. You got captured again and the first face you see after regaining you senses is a galra face. I don’t blame you. I would have been nervous too. Nay! I was when I first saw my own reflection.”_

They talked about it a little more. Keith told him how his look changed and his conversation with Allura.

The talked about the rescue mission and Shiro told them the ughuurians were already extinct 8000 years ago. The emergency video was an old footage. Then the black paladin turned to Pidge.

_“Pidge I want you to check my arm for any kind of tracking device.”_ Said the black paladin. And they headed to the green lions hangar for her laptop and other equipments. Pidge started to working on Shiro’s arm. The man was sitting on the floor next to her. When she finished her tests and declared the no tracker was founded everyone released a sigh.

Then because they were tired everyone decided it was time to go to sleep.

The next day they planned to train with the lions a little in the first period of the morning circle.

They got ready and went to their lions. Everyone was out in space except Shiro.

_“Shiro where are you? We are waiting for you. Even Lance is here in time.”_ Said the green paladin. Her sarcasm was thick in her voice.

_“I..I can’t get in black. Her shield is up and she is nott responding to me.”_ The man’s voice was panicked and terrified.

Everyone thought the same…..

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> there will be no picture for this chapter, but if anyone wants to draw I would welcome.  
> sorry the chapter got short.


	5. Feelings

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> some shit happen then a little smut than more shit happen.

_They was sitting in the lounge in a heavy silence. No one know what to say or do. Shiro tried to reach out to Black multiple times but nothing._

_“I…I’m sorry guys. I don’t even know what to say.”_ _Said the man in a small voice._

 _“Don’t worry Shiro. What if it is just a temporary thing?”_ _Pidge turned to the man and tried to smile at him._

 _„Yeah man! Maybe Black just telling you to rest a little on_ _her own way.”_ Said Lance, his voice cheerful as ever.

 _“No guys. I can’t hear her. I…I think she don’t want me to her paladin anymore.”_ Shiro lowered his head in defeat. _“I …I need some time alone.”_ And he left the room. Everyone staid quiet for a moment than they left the room too.

Shiro was sitting on his bed. His thoughts is a mess ** _.” What if I can’t be a paladin anymore? What is my purpose then?”_** he laid back on the bed, staring the ceiling. **_“But why I am a little relived? But if I can’t drive the Black lion we need to find a new paladin to form Voltron. And I need to find my place in this war. Maybe I burned out completely. Maybe Voltron need a new black paladin to be even more powerful. “_** he closed his eyes and he wondered who the new paladin might be. He wanted to Keith to take his place if he can’t be the black paladin anymore. But he isn’t ready yet. Then Allura would be a good paladin if someone will guide her a little.

He couldn’t decide what should be his role in the war, but if they can a new paladin than maybe he can go with Allura for her diplomatic meetings. He is good with people and the princess wouldn’t be by herself.

His thoughts swirled in a never ending spiral till he fell asleep.

_________________________-------------------------------------------------_______________________

Keith was in his room, when his Marmora communicator beeped. Kolivan’s face appeared.

_“Keith! We need you back in the base. We are under numbered at the moment and I have mission for you. It is important. I already asked the princess if they can lend you to two quintant. I got permission. Get ready.”_

_“But…”_ Kolivan’s face said he shouldn’t finish this sentence _” I understand leader.”_

In 10 doboshes he was on his way back to the base, thanks to the wormhole. 

When he arrived in the base’s hangar Kolivan and Regris waited for him already. The leader told him the details about the mission and they left immediately.

The mission’s goal was to collect the intel about some new quintessence source and route and plant a tracker in the ship.

“We destroyed the Komar. How can they still produce so many quintessence?” asked Regris wondering.

 _“Find out where’s it coming and where’s it going.”_ ordered Kolivan to Regris, he turned to Keith _“get a reading on that shipment. Remember this is purely intelligence gathering. DO. NOT. ENGAGE.”_ He said to Keith.

While Regris collected the intel, Keith went to get the reading, but a sentry caught him. He immediately got rid of it but unfortunately the robot's weapon went out. it they got compromised. Keith got back to the shuttle. Kolivan was already in there but Regris did not. He got 30 tikks so of course Keith went back to him. He would never abandon him.

The shuttle’s door was already closing when he literally fell in with Regris on his shoulders. He made it in time, but is was a close call.

 _“You broke protocol”_ the leader’s voice was hard.

 _“I had to”_ answered the younger.

_“You didn’t considered that something could happen to you. That would make two man down instead of one. Every member of the blade of Marmora understands that the mission’s more important than the individual. This isn’t Voltron.”_

_“I understand that. In Voltron we would have to gone back to save Regris. I went back to save the mission. Regris had the intel. Getting him and it back on the ship was worth the risk.”_ Keith voice was fierce and angry. He know how the Blade worked. Why Kolivan couldn’t thrust in him a little?

He didn’t saw that Kolivan made a worried expression.

When they got back to the base, Keith took Regris to the mad bay. Ulaz said he would be alright but need some rest so Keith went back to his room to take a relaxing shower. When he got out of the bathroom nothing just in a towel his door opened. “ ** _shit I forgot to lock the door”_** Thace was in the doorway.

 _“…hahh, why is it that when I open the door on you, you are always half naked? I’ll wait outside.”_ Said the man and left the door.

Keith got ready quickly. Didn’t was to make the other wait too long. He opened the door and invited the man. “Do you need something?” asked him.

_“No, I just saw you got back from the mission. Is Regris will be okay?”_

The younger man nodded. Now he could understand the galra non-committal language easier because of his new senses and with the time he spend on the base.

 _“Good. I wanted to ask you if you are up to some sparring. If you are not too tired.”_ Asked Thace his lip lifted to a half smirk.

Keith was never tried for some sparring. _”yeah it would be nice. I need to relive some tension anyway”_

The pair went to one of the smaller training halls. Luckily it was empty. They stretched a little than got in position and started. They went on and on until both of them breathed hard and fast

Keith slid between the other's legs and wanted to kick him on the knee from behind but Thace was faster and he was more experienced, he caught his leg and jerked it. Keith lost his balance and the both of them fell on the ground. Or rather, Keith fell down on the ground while Thace fell on top of him. His leg still in the others hand. Thace other hand was next to his head. One of his knees was between Keith’s legs. Their waist pressing into each other. Faces close. They breathed hard. It got mingled between them. Neither of them could nor want to move anymore. Their gazes never leaving the others. Body pressing each other. The heat is comforting. The air was hot and heavy with repressed feelings.

 _“…Keith I-“_ but suddenly the training halls door opened and the illusion shattered. They quickly tangled out of each other with an intensive blush on both of their faces. Neither of them could look in the other’s eyes for a few doboshes. In the end Keith braked the silence first.

_“Um..we should go and take a shower.”_

_“Yeah, good idea. Want to grab something to eat later?”_ asked Thace, his voice unreadable.

 _“Why not. Meet me in the dining hall in 30 dobosh?”_ asked the younger man. Thace nodded and they went to their own room to take a shower and to calm down a bit.

_______________________----------------------------------------------____________________________

Thace got in his shower. He didn’t waited to the water to turn into warm enough. He needed to calm down ** _. ”pull yourself together! You aren’t some teenage or something.”_** Scolded himself the galra but he couldn’t calm down. His shaft was already half hard, just the memory of Keith’s warm body against his was enough. **_“fuck.. it won’t go down.”_** He wrapped his hand around the length, and groaned at the feeling. Crying out at the pleasure. He thought of him again. Unable to stop the images that swam through his mind. The way Keith felt against him, his body against his, their waist pressing, groin rubbing onto each other. The guttural moans that escaped him were _animal like_ as he fisted his cock, feeling his hips pump into his hand as he delved deeper into his mind. It wasn’t his hand anymore it was Keith’s pale ones. Fisted perfectly around his cock. He would give in his everything because it was Keith after all. Never doing something halfheartedly.

Pleasure coursed through his veins as he pumped his fist harder, the head on his cock already swollen. **_“Fuuck”_** his breath grew ragged as an orgasm began to take over his body, slamming into his mind like waves crashing on a shore. His balls tightened and his body jerked hard, his other hand slamming against the tiles for support as thick, white ropes of cum splattered the shower wall. It was a long while before his mind came out of the black hole that was Keith. He flicked off the faucets and stepped out of the shower. But the relived mood did not last long. His guilt take over his thoughts. He know he shouldn’t think of the younger man like this. He was way older and he was galra. **_„Keith should be with someone who is his age. And probably human. Someone like the black paladin. Quiznak! I’m a mess. How will I look in his eyes again?”_** his thoughts swirled while he got ready and headed to the dining hall, not feeling hungry anymore.

Luckily they weren’t alone. Regris got out of the mad bay and Ulaz came too. The younger Regris talked with Keith, thanking him to saving his life and the mission. Thace and Ulaz was behind the other two. The lighter colored galra turned to him and silently asking what is wrong with him. He just shook his head and mouthing that he will tell him later. Till the time, he’ll prepare himself for some lecture from the doctor. 

\----------------------------------------------_____________________________-----------------------------------------

Two quintants passed, Keith got back from the Blades, and Shiro made his decision.

 _“Allura! I need to everyone to meet here. I want to say something important.”_ He said firmly. The princess looked surprised but nodded and called the others to the bridge.

When the others arrived he took a deep breathe. “ _Guys, I have to say something. I think we need to search for a new black paladin. I will be honest. I think you all should try first before we search somewhere else.”_ Everyone was quiet for a few tikks before they reacted on their own ways. Only Keith stayed silent.

When they calmed down, they headed to the black lion. Keith was a little further back away from the others. Shiro went next to him.

_“Still think you should lead Voltron. The black lion answered to you once already. And I can guide you into leadership if you need help. But I think you would be a great leader if you just take back a little from your hot-headedness.”_

Keith didn’t said anything just looked him in the eyes uncertain.

They got to Black. They went in one by one and tried to call out to her. Allura went first, than pidge, Hunk and Lance.

 _“So…how long do we let Lance try? He’s been in half a varga”_ said pidge bored. Even Shiro sighed a little. They the Cuban boy got out of Black. sat down on the floor and declared that:” the black lion hate all of them” with a scowl on his face.

 _“Keith it’s your turn.”_ Said the princess. The boy’s eyes shot to her uneasiness in them. Then he looked to Shiro who smiled at him reassuringly. Keith went into the black lion. Just a few tikks later the lion’s lights went on and the lion moved. Shiro relaxed. Hi knew it would be Keith. The said boy came out but his face wasn’t happy.

 _“I know you can do it buddy._ ” Shiro clapped a hand on the younger one’s shoulder.

With Keith being the new black paladin, someone have to take Red. Allura tried, but the lion didn’t responded to her.

Suddenly the alarms went off. An empire cruiser was on sight and they needed to fight. Black, Green and Yellow was already out, but Lance couldn’t get in Blue. It called out to Allura instead. She took off and joined the fight. They were in a tight situation when the red lion appeared piloted by Lance.

~~~~~~~~TIME SKIP~~~~~~

With Keith being the black paladin now his time with the blade got shorter. He still went with them on missions. Shiro tried to help him to be a good leader, but even he couldn’t prevent what happened between the team and Lotor.

The constant commuting, caused more and more tension between the team and Keith. Shiro tried to help, but the styles of the two leaders did not match.

And that the new Black paladin was half galra, refugees and the coalition’s, member didn’t feel safe. _“What if he is the same as Zarkon” “can we trust a galra?”_ uncertainty followed the team everywhere.

Keith was on a Blade mission with Kolivan and Regris again. But the abandoned ship with the intel was a trap. Regris tried to get the intel, while Kolivan and Keith tried to pry open the doors. The alarm flashed red, the countdown has begun.

 _“Just a few more tikks”_ said the tailed galra. But they didn’t have a few tikks. Kolivan tried to drag him out leaving Regris to his fate. But he quickly dodged the older galra and went to grab Regris. They was halfway out when the ship exploded. His world went dark.

He opened his eyes. He was a little dizzy. He looked around and he couldn’t see anything other than space junks. The remaining of the galra ship. No one on sight. He throw his knife with a rope tide to it to some piece of the junk and pulled himself there. He hopped from on to the other, searching for their shuttle, or his partners. Then he saw a body floating in space, unmoving. It was Regris. He went there and check his life signs. His pulse was weak and he was unconscious. He tide the other galra to himself and searched for the shuttle again. And he found it but it’s doors was already closing ** _. “What a déjà vu.”_** He hurried and fell into the ship just in time. Kolivan was there already, but he didn’t said a word, just checked on Regris and hurriedly piloted back to the base.

____________________-----------------------------------------------------------------_____________________

Meanwhile Keith was on the blade mission, some shit happened. They got attacked and without the black lion they couldn’t form Voltron. The paladins was losing.

Shiro heard their voices. How they screamed for help. And in that moment he decided to try again with the black lion.

 _“Come on! They are in danger. You trusted me once, then trust me again!”_ shouted Shiro and the lion got alive. He went out immediately. Formed Voltron and saved the day. But the message was clear. Keith wasn't there and the trouble happened.

____________________------------------------------------------------------------------____________________

He arrived at the castle. Already know what happened with the paladins. Before he could go to the bridge Allura waited for him in the hangar.

 _“I don’t need a lecture to know I fucked up.”_ Said before the princess could say anything.

Allura’s face was sad _.”. I just wanted to say sorry. I I heard what happened on the mission. I hope your comrade will make it.”_

“… _thanks_ ”

 _“I know how important your work with the Blade. They’re incredible allies. And although the news about the new quintessence source is worrying,_ _i can't help but notice that ..-“_

 _“Said I didn’t want a lecture.”_ Cut in the black haired man.

 _“Keith.._ _since the battle for the Zarkon, we have been able to increase our strength by uniting those previously lived under galra oppression a common symbol under the Voltron. It’s so much more than a weapon. a symbol of freedom and hope among the oppressed. By that I mean that Marmora can work without you, but Voltron cannot. We cannot.”_

Thy went to the bridge. The others already waiting. Their faces was angry.

 _“keith.”_ Shiro’s disappointed and voice said his name but he couldn’t continue because Lance cut in

_“You jeopardized the team and the refugees!”_

_“Even the whole quadrant was in danger.”_ Pidge tiny form was tense.

Keith looked down. _“…this is not the way I wanted this to happen, but if there is a bright side of this, is that my absence allowed to Shiro to regain his bond with the black lion. He can finally be the leader, I was unable to be. I’m not meant to be pilot the Black lion.”_

 _“Is that why are you was pulling away from us?”_ asked Allura

_“yes, it was a part of it.”_

_“A part of it? What’s the other part?”_ asked hunk surprised

 _“The blade comes close to finding out the source of the new quintessence. We managed to discover a new hidden route network that secretly knows how long it has been in operation. And we have good reason to believe that it will lead us straight to Lotor. an infiltrating operation is already being planned. it can take weeks, maybe months but if there's a chance, we have ... I have to take it. I need to be on it that mission.”_ said firmly the half galra _.” Shiro! You are the rightful leader of this team. And you proved it today with reconnected to the black lion. It was always meant to be yours.”_

The black paladin went to him and put a hand on his shoulder. „ _Keith…if this is what you feel is right, than we won’t try stop you. Just know that we’re here for you whenever you need us”._

They hugged and in a few seconds the whole team was in a group hug. They cried and said goodbye’s on their own way.

Keith headed to the door, but he turned back for a last glance. A little smile on his lips. He turned to the door again and the smile fell down.

 ** _“Maybe I won’t be able to see them again. Ther is a possibility I’ll die.”_** the thought ran through his mind. Then he went out the door and left his family behind.


	6. burning

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> it's fluff time ang angst

Keith landed his shuttle in the base's hangar. He breathed deep before he left the ship. He was t in the mood to talk to anyone. He left the hangar and headed to his room. He ran into Ulaz on the way. The older galra asked how he was doing, but Keith closed the conversation quickly and5hurried to his room. He laid on his bad and stared at his ceiling.

\----------------------------------------------_____________________________-----------------------------------------

Ulaz went to the dining hall deep in thoughts.

_"Hey man. Are you okay?"_ come Thace’s voice from behind. He jumped a little started out of his thoughts. _"Yes, I'm okay. I was just thinking of Keith. No, not the way you do it don’t give me that face."_ his voice was dripping with disapproval _. "No. I am worried about him. I ran into him on the corridor and5he seemed upset. Something must5have happened at the castle."_

Thace face was gloomy. Keith wasn't in his best shape lately _. „Maybe he just stressed out or something. I will pay a visit to him later and try to cheer him up somehow"_

Ulaz just stared at him

_"I will not do unappropriated things I swear! I will just talk with him if he is up to it. I... I know he doesn’t think of me like that."_ the Last sentence was said with a hint of sadness in the man's voice.

_"Yeah. Like we talked about it... Just don’t push him. You can try to court him if you want just don’t overdo It."_ warned him the doctor. Then he went to grab some food and went back to his office.

Thace grabbed some food too and headed to Keith's room. He already know what would cheer the boy up

_______________________________------------------------------------------________________________

Keith thought was swirling in his5head. He was hungry too but didn’t feel to go to the dining hall. He wanted some company but at the same time he wanted to be alone.

He heard a knock on his door and considered to not open it ** _." But what if it is important?"_**

He got up with a heavy sigh and opened the door. It was Thace. _"Hey there. I got food. Do you want to eat first or sneak in the simulator and take some turn?"_ asked with a half smirk.

Keith eyes shot up with an exited gleam in it. He wasn’t allowed in the simulators because according to Kolivan he don’t need it. His skills was already good enough. And if Kolivan said it was good enough then it was equivalent of a praise. So he was t allowed in the simulators.

_"Isn’t that prohibited for me?"_ asked Keith leaning on the doorway a playful smile on his lips.

(Then thace.exe has stopped." Oh boy he didn’t know what you are doing to me")

_"... Khmm I um I. No one needs to know. And the room is empty at this hour."_

_"Then what are you waiting for? Come. „_ Keith was already out of his room heading down the corridor. The galra quickly put down the tray of foods on the table and followed Keith. They went to the simulators and with Thace’s ID they easily got inside.

The blade's simulators was really different from the garrison's and different from the lions.

It was possible to set what kind of ship you are piloting. And in what situation. Within that, the difficulty levels. Thace showed him how to set the machine and after some basic explanation Keith started. Thace was his assistant. They went on and on without stopping for one and a half varga. And in parallel with the time, Keith’s mood improver. It was the perfect distraction, and the boy find easy to work with Thace, they were in perfect sync. Then they times went up and the two sneaked out of the room. Both of them smiling at the other.

When they was sitting in Keith’s room eating the weird galra equivalent of a meat pudding (it sounds bad but it was surprisingly tasty) in a comfortable silence Keith let out a little purr like noise. In respond Thace purred back to him.

After the meal they talked a little about Thace’s missions, about how Regris will be out of the bed bay the next quintant.

_“Are you feeling better now?”_ asked the older galra. Keith ears twitched a little. _”yeah. I’m fine. Why are you asking?”_

_“Ulaz said you looked up set, so I thought I’d try to cheer you up.”_ said the man a little nervous.

_“Thank you…I really needed that.”_

_“Can I ask what happened?”_ than he quickly continued _“you don’t have to answer if it something private.”_

_“No….it’s not private and I think Kolivan will going to tell everyone on the next meeting so I guess it not a secret. I just...I will not going back to the castle. I’m not a paladin anymore.”_ Keith’s voice was small. And he leaned onto Thace’s shoulder to cover his face from the man. He didn’t know why are he let himself be so vulnerable in front of him, but he felt somehow safe with him. He felt he can be a little vulnerable and the man wouldn’t judge him for it. He didn’t understand himself anymore. It just felt good, leaning on Thace and relax a little.

“I’m sorry to hear. I know you enjoyed to pilot a lion, and that you will miss them. But if there is a good side in it, is that you can focus on your learning about your galra side.” Thace put around his shoulder one of his arm, pulling him in a half hug. _“And that you can take care of Regris. Even though he is the older one, it looks like he will not survive without you.”_ Then he lowered his head and rubbed his check on Keith’s.

_“…um Thace, what are you doing?”_ the boy’s voice was uncertain.

_“I am scenting you.”_ Said the man as if this is the most natural thing in the whole wide universe. (And Keith didn’t know but it was. LOL)

His questioning face said that he still isn’t get it. _“But why?”_

_“Umm for comforting you?”_ said the man” _but I can stop if you feel uncomfortable. I’m sorry I overstepped my boundaries. “_ He started to move away but Keith panicked and grabbed his hand. The both of them looked surprised for a moment.

_“No, sorry. It’s okay. I was just surprised a little. I…I don’t know much about the galra so..um..it..it felt nice.” “ **Why am I stuttering now? I feel stupid”**_

They stayed silent for a few tikks.

_“You can ask me anything you don’t understand if you want to.”_ Said the older man. _”then next time you will know how to respond to thing you don’t know yet.”_

_“That would be useful. So..what is this scenting? You said it a comforting thing or what.”_

_“Well, scenting could be a lot of thing. Yes it is a comforting thing between family and friend. But it can be used as an indication to others that the person is taken. Each has a slightly different smell, so no one would misunderstand the situation. It is possibly, that you didn’t even noticed the differences because so far no one has scented you. I can tell it from your smell. “_ Explained the man. _“You have scent buds here “_ he gently brushed the edge of his mouth _” and here too”_ and on his check right there where his ear started.

Keith was now blushing hard, but he couldn’t tell why. Thace fingers felt good, and he wanted to lean in his touch. But he restrained himself uncertain how the other man would react. They stared into each other's eyes. But this time it wasn’t hot and heavy like at the training hall, it was somehow intimate in a way Keith couldn’t name it.

After some silent moment Thace’s hand left his face.

_“Um is this something you have to reciprocate? Like, you scented me so I have to scent you back so I am telling the others that we are friends?”_ asked Keith hesitantly. He wasn’t sure he could do something so embarrassing after this explanation.

_“Well, you don’t HAVE TO but it considered rude and odd if you do not. But I know it is new to you so I won’t be upset if you don’t scent me back.”_ Said Thace. Than he put his hand to his chin and feigned a thoughtful face and said teasingly _“but then I have to tell Kolivan that we broke protocol, and we never can go to the simulators again.”_

In return Keith decided to gets into this mocking game. He faked annoyance and said “yes, yes you big purple space cat. Shut up and come here, I’ll give you your scenting.” And he grabbed the man’s head and jerk it down to his level and rubbed his face on the other’s. Thace giggled a little. _“Oh wow I feel so honored now. I am the first one who got a scenting from you”_ they bickered playfully for some tikks more when Keith got sleepy.

They have a meeting tomorrow and he want to be as fresh as possible. They said their good nights and Thace left the room. Keith never felt so light while he got out to space. He took a quick shower and went to sleep. He had a good, dreams free night.

__________________________-----------------------------------------------_________________________

In the morning cycle he got ready quickly, went to grab something to eat before the meeting. I t was a regular situation overview meeting. Regris was there too, happy that he finally got out of the med bay. In the end of the meeting Kolivan called out to him, Thace, Ilun and Vrek.

_“I have a mission for the three of you. You need to infiltrate this hidden galra base and gather the Intel about the ships readings and routes. I suspect it may have some connection to the new quintessence. Get ready. You’ll depart the next varga.”_ Said Kolivan in his best leader voice. When Keith wanted to leave the room Kolivan called out to him _again “Keith. Don’t let your emotions overwhelm you. Be careful.”_ Then he dismissed him.

Keith couldn’t tell if it was a warning or Kolivan was worried for him. The leaders face and voice didn’t tell his feelings. 

They arrived to the secret base unnoticed. Vrek stayed to preserve the shuttle. Ilun went to gather the readings, while Keith and Thace went to gather the ships routes. Thace was in the control room while Keith was on guard.

_“Keith how things in the corridor?”_ Keith heard Thace’s voice through their shared comm frequency.

_“Clear. You have 3 dobosh before the next patrol comes.”_ Answered the boy.

_“I nearly done. Ilun, you got you intel?”_

_“Yes I am on my way back”_ said the other galra. _”good I am done too. Let’s head back”_

_“Wait!”_ whispered shouted Keith.” Someone coming. “And indeed, some guards turned into the hallway. Thace cursed under his breath. This would complicate their departure immensely. Everything was timed to the last tick, and waiting too long could mean being discovered. He returned the system to inactive mode and crept over to the door, drawing his blade as he went. This could get dicey

_“Keith, what’s your position?”_ Vrek asked.

_“Behind a pillar.”_ Keith whispered. _“It’s the best I’ve got.”_

“ _Thace?”_

_“Just inside the control room door. Keith, can you switch on your external microphone? I want to hear them”_

The guards chatted about someone saw something in the hangar _“aah man, it’s so far. But if we don’t check it Murtagh will shout our heads off.”_

_“I need to move or they will discover me. “_ Whispered Keith in his comm, and started to sneak out of his hiding place to another corridor, but he was too late. One of the soldiers saw his disappearing figure and went to chase him.

_“I got discovered. I’ll draw them down this corridor so Thace can come out. I’ll try to shake them off.“_ Keith told the other two Blades, air rushing past his microphone as if he was running. They could hear the blaster fire.

Thace waited until he could no longer hear the retreating footsteps of the soldiers through the door, then he slipped out of the control room and locked the door once more behind himself. Another burst of blaster-fire echoed from further down the corridor, coupled with angry shouting. 

Thace know Keith would head to the shuttle while try and shake off the guards. If he hurry then he can get on the right corridor which led to their ship. He and Keith would be on either end of the corridor and take out the guards together. Then maybe, just maybe, they could get out of this in one piece. 

He spoke too soon. 

“ _Augh!_ ” Keith’s pained shout ripped through their communication frequency, the sound forcing Thace’s heart to stop beating for a moment before he ran faster. 

“ _Keith_!” Thace said. _“Are you alright?”_

The few moments of silence were agonizing to endure, before Keith groaned. _“One of them shot me in the side of my ribs. I think it’s shallow, but quiznak_ _it hurts…”_ Keith voice was tense and felt painful. It was definitely not shallowed. _“ I don’t have a gun and my blade isn’t the best for long range attacks.”_

_“Hold on! I’m coming_.” Said Thace just in time to see Keith turning the corridor. He shot two of the guards down with his blaster while Keith turned back to take down the remaining one guard. When the soldier fell down the floor unmoving Keith without wasting time started to run to the shuttle again, but after some steps he collapsed. Breathing hard and fast.

_„KEITH!”_ Thace run to him and quickly lifted him from the floor. He started to run back to the shuttle knowing just 1 dobosh left until departure.

He got back just in time.

_“Hang on!”_ Vrek called from the cockpit, and Thace barely had a chance to sit down on the floor before the ship swerved suddenly. A supply box was knocked off the shelf and Thace hunched over to stop it from landing on Keith, catching it. The whole ship shuddered as they entered hyper drive, and Thace held onto his charge tightly in lieu of any proper seatbelts. Keith hissed quietly, gritting his teeth against the pain. 

_“Check him over and do what you can. We are back to base in 30 doboshes.”_ Said Ilun while he sat in the co-pilot seat.

He set the boy down on the long bench meant for sitting troops and helped him lay down along it, dissolving his mask as he went. When Keith did the same, he saw that his features were twisted with pain and his hair was sticking to the sheen of sweat covering his forehead and neck. His purple marking really stood out on his pale skin now.

_„How do you feel?”_ asked him as he opened the emergency kit.

_„Like shit. It’s burning.”_ Said the boy, his teeth gritting _. “You should’ve leave me behind…”_ added.

_“No! I would never leave you. You didn’t leave me either anno. “_

Thace tugged at the torn edge of the suit, trying to see the wound better, but the armor was not made to be ripped and refused to budge past where it had been incinerated. Thinking quickly, Thace slid a hand under the back of Keith’s neck and pulled the zipper down. Keith helped pull his arms out and Thace pulled the suit down to his hips to get a better look at the wound. The markings made their way down to Keith’s collarbones ending at the shoulders. Other stripes started from his back and passed down through his ribs towards his hips, ending in an unfinished V-shape on his hip bones.

The wound was right above of one of the markings. Thankfully the blast didn’t seem to have hit any organs or bones. It seemed to have been mostly cauterized by the heat of the blast, but the skin and exposed flesh was blackened and charred.

Thace bandaged up with him in the best way he could and pulled him into his lap, to lay on his thighs instead the colt bench. One of Thace hand was on the bandaged wound to apply pressure and the other was in Keith hair. Trying to comfort him. But when the boys eyes started to shut he shook him a little to wake him up.

_“Keith, stay with me. You need to stay awake_.” But he received no answer. ” _Keith! KEITH!”_

Keith opened his eyes but his gaze was foggy and unfocused. “-ace” said and lifted his hand to Thace’s face” _. “don worry…I wont die from a shitty shot like this_ slurred the younger one. Hand trembling. _“but I’m tired….”_ His hand fell and eyes shutting again.

“ _Keith! Stay with me! Please. Wake up!”_ but only silence was his answer.

_“How long?”_ shouted Thace to the other two galra. He was panicking ** _. “I can’t let him die! Not like this. Not like now. Never!”_**

_“3 dobosh”_ came the answer. “ _We already contacted Ulaz”_

They arrived to the base. Ulaz got to work immediately and took Keith away from Thace. Ilun and Vrek went to report to Kolivan.

Thace didn’t know what to do. He just stood in the hangar by himself and tried to not have a panic attack. He need to calm down but he couldn’t.

**_“he’ll be alright, he’ll be alright, he have to be alright!”_** repeated to himself like some mantra.

He then went down the corridor right to the direction of the med bay. Maybe he can’t be in the room but nobody will stop him to wait in front of it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> an art will be up sometime but I still working on it. but if cou can drawing better than me ( and I bet anyone can) I happily accept it and will post it.


	7. Drama

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am sorry....I felt I need some heartbreak.

Thace leaned on the wall in front of the med bay his arms crossed. One of his finger drummed on his upper arm, nervously. He's been waiting there for 1 varga already. He was the verge of his limits.

The mad bay door opened and Ulaz stepped out of the room. The doctor raised his eyes to his.

_"He will be fine. But he need to stay here for two quintants. He has a slight fever too.”_ Said the lighter colored galra. Thace let out a deep breath he didn’t know he was holding _." you did your best. Relax a bit"_ added

_"Can I go see him?"_ asked Thace hopefully

_"You can, but he's asleep right now"_ said Ulaz. The galra looked at him for a few tikks and smiled a little half kind smile. _"You really do love him don’t you?"_

_"... Yeah. I do. But I don't think he feel the same for me. But I have his friendship and it's enough for Me."_ said Thace firm but not harsh, and if someone didn’t know him enough they can't hear the faint sadness in his voice.

Ulaz just nodded and let the other inside.

Thace went to the only occupied bed and sat down the stool next to it.

Keith’s face was pale but his cheeks red with fever. Small sweat drops on his forehead. He went to wet a cloth and then went back and gently wiped the sweat from the boy's forehead. He seemed small in the mad bay's bed.

His thoughts swirled. He know Ulaz is a good doctor and if he says Keith will be fine than he will be fine, but he still worried. But until Keith wakes up there is nothing he can do for him.

So he just sat there and sometimes he wiped away the sweat on the boy's forehead.

\-----------------------------------------------------___________________________-------------------------------------

Two quintant passed

Keith eyes opened slowly. He immediately recognized the ceiling he was staring at. He turned his gaze to the figure next his bed, hut to his surprise it wasn’t Ulaz or Regris. Nor Thace. It was Antok.

“…Antok.” Said the boy, voice hoarse. They was friends but they weren’t that close for Antok to wait for his awakening next to his sick bed. According to Keith. Antok may have thought otherwise.

_“Hello little one. How’re you feeling?”_ asked the masked Galra. He called him “little one”. If it would be someone else it would bother him but because Antok was the biggest galra he ever saw and because everyone was smaller than he so he didn’t mind it.

_“Fine. My back is hurt a little, but fine.”_

_“That would be because you slept for two quintant.”_ Giggled a little the taller man.

_“Two quintant?! God, no wonder. I need to get up.”_ Keith tried to get out of bad but Antok grabbed his arm and stopped him. When he looked at the galra questioningly

_“Not so fast, little one. You need to eat first.”_ Said firmly the galra. _“I’ll bring food for you. STAY. SEATED!”_ commanded, than he left the room. And Keith stayed seated because he wasn’t stupid to oppose the biggest galra in the universe. Antok got back in a few doboshes with so much food it would have been enough for five people.

_“Antok…I can’t eat that much food.”_ Said Keith with a little amusement in his voice.

Antok just stared at him for a few tikks, than looked down to the tray of food and him again. _“You don’t eat enough.”_ Declared the older man. **_“What a mother hen”_** thought Keith and chuckled to himself. Keith ate as much as he could before announcing that” he is full, and no he definitely can’t eat more, and yes he is sure”. Than Antok deactivated his mask. It want the first time he saw the other’s face but he still wasn’t comfortable enough to ask why Antok’s face was full of scars that looked like someone wanted to redraw the lines of his face with a knife. The older galra with magical speed ate the leftover food. After Antok re-checked that he was okay, they left the med bay and went their separate ways. Keith went to Kolivan to submit his report of the mission and himself (because Kolivan asked him how’s he felling)

Because he already ate he decided to train a little. In the middle of his train his communicator beeped. He went take a sip ow water and to check his communicator. And he nearly choked at the post Regris sent him. The other galra who was near him looked at him questioningly. He just motion that he was okay and looked at the screen again ** _. “VOLTRON SHOW? Oh god. Now I’m so glad I’m here and I don't have to be involved in this. Shiro the hero. Ptfff it’s just too funny. But I bet Lance is enjoying this.”_** Thought the half-galra. His shoulders shaking with repressed laughter. He also got a message from pidge that she found his brother. **_“I’m glad for her.”_** He quickly messaged back to Regris and went back to train a little more. He just stepped out of the training hall when someone called out for him. He turned to the voice, but he already knew who it was. Thace was running towards him.

“ _Thace, hi.”_ Said Keith to the man who was now breathing hard in front of him.

“ _Keith! Antok said that you are awake. Are you okay? Why are you training? Shouldn’t you be still resting?“_ He was frantic. Keith was taken aback for the sudden questions.

_“Thace, I’m fine. Really.”_ Said to him but then suddenly he remembered something. In the shuttle…Thace was the one who bandaged him up…and his worried face and the panic in the man’s voice. _“I…I want to thank you for saving my life…and I’m sorry you had to worry.”_ Keith lowered his head. He couldn’t look in Thace’s eyes.

Thace’s eyes softened.” You don’t have to thank me. I would always save you.” He stepped a little closer to the boy. _“I…can I scent you?”_ asked nervously.

Keith just nodded and pressed himself to Thace. The older man slowly embraced him and rubbed his face against his neck. Keith felt a little shiver run over the galra’s body. The embrace felt comforting but he was covered in sweat and didn’t want to torture any longer their sensitive noses. So he stepped behind but smiling up the man. “ _Thank you.”_ He didn’t know why or what is he thanking.

_“I need to take a shower, but later we could go and grab dinner together if you want.”_ Offered Keith to the galra.

_“Yeah it would be nice. Then, see you at the dining hall.”_ Answered Thace and watched as Keith nodded him and went down the corridor.

Keith went back to his room took a quick shower and got dressed in a black T-shirt and black sweatpants. His clothes was a nice contrast his pale skin. The V-shaped neckline nicely highlighted his galra-marking on his face and collarbone.

When he arrived at the dining hall Thace was already there. He was wearing his space suit. It showed off his nicely built body.

This time they were alone. Regris was on a mission and Kolivan and Antok was busy. They was halfway through their meals when a really pissed Ulaz smashed down next to him.

_“Why do I need to learn from Kolivan that you are awake? And I heard something about you training all day.”_

Keith wasn’t prepared to an angry Ulaz. Angry Ulaz was really scary. Keith would rather fight Zarkon alone again than talk back to an angry Ulaz. So he decided it was the best strategy to let Ulaz shout at him as much as he wanted and after the doctor cooled down a little, talk to him.

_“Ulaz, calm down for a bit I sure-“_ but Thace couldn’t finish his sentence, because Ulaz shot him a nasty look.

_“You, shut up! I think Keith can tell me his reasons WITHOUT your help.”_

They let Ulaz scolding them until he eventually calmed down.

_“I’m sorry. you wasn’t there and I just forgot. Antok check on me and he didn’t let me up until I ate something so he brought food and then he check on me again.”_

“ _Antok isn’t a doctor. I will examine you after diner!”_

Ulaz stayed until they finished their meals and right to his words he literally dragged Keith to the med bay. After declaring him healthy he let him go back to his room. He laid on his bad comfortably. He was tired, it was a weird day. “ ** _pff..blade of mother-hens”_** was his last thought before he fell asleep.

________________---------------------------------------------------------__________________________

The next quintant he was called to the meeting room. The paladins wanted to talk about something with him and Kolivan. It was about that Zarkon was still alive and he declared prince Lotor a traitor to the empire. They was worried that Zarkon would stabilize the empire again, so they put together a plan to take down a strategically important planet. Naxzela. Pidge and Hunk will cut out the communication between the empire and the region. The Blade and the rebels will take over control at the Zaiforge canons. The rebels will take the one near planet Teg and the Blade of Marmora will take the one on planet Senfama. And team Voltron will attack Naxzela.

If they succeed, they acquire one-third of the Galra Empire.

After team Voltron gathered the members of the coalition and Allura’s inspiring speech, the operation begun. Everything went according to plan until it didn’t. The cannons shot down, Voltron got trapped in Naxzela, their communication cut off, so of course Keith decided to go and find out why can’t they got contact with Voltron. He was on his way when Shiro contacted him and said they must take down the galra ships because Haggar was on board and she definitely planning to do something nasty with Naxzela. The whole planet was a bomb. The rebels and Keith tried to take down the galra cruiser’s weapon that would activate Naxzela, but an impenetrable shiled protected it.

“ _We can’t get through the shield”_ shouted Matt in Keith’s comm.

_“….maybe not with our weapons.”_ Said the boy and he directed his ship straight at the shield. He wanted to fly into it. As he got closer and closer he heard Matt’s desperately shouting his name, but he ignored him and closed his eyes, ready to sacrifice himself for everyone’s sake.

Than Lotor got in the picture, take down the super galra weapon and Keith jerked his ship out of the way at the last moment, detected the explosion. Lotor announced that he want to talk to the paladins.

While the paladins was busy talking with Lotor, Keith went out of the bridge’s room and headed towards his old room in the castle. He…he wasn’t alright. The adrenalin leaving his blood, thinking over his action. He didn’t noticed that Matt followed him, and suddenly he got dragged in a storage room by him he was taken aback.

“ _you! What were you thinking Keith?”_

_“…I. Look we weren’t getting past that shield. My ship was already damaged and unless we got in there we ALL would have died.”_

_“oh so you decided to sacrificing himself would be the best thing to do?”_ Matt crossed his arms.

_“the mission more important than the individual.” Said Keith his face serious. “So yes, at the time it seemed like the best thing to do.”_

But Matt couldn’t say a thing because the spare room’s door opened and revealed a really taken aback looking Thace.

_“you..did what? No don’t repeat I heard you two crystal clear because you were shouting. But …Matt right? Can you give us a moment?”_ said Thace with an unreadable face.

Matt went out of the room but looked back to Keith for a moment. Then he left them alone.

Keith stepped out of the room too. _“I don’t need a lecture.”_ Said with a firm face.

_“Keith…Just why would you wanted to die?”_ asked desperately Thace

_“Like I said, I didn’t want to die. It was just the most logical thing to do at the moment.”_ Keith was now angry. Why they can’t let him be? Not if he has suicidal thoughts all the time. Why nobody saw the difference?

_“But Keith, there must have been another option and you-“_ the older man put a hand on his shoulder but it was aggressively snap away by Keith with an angry growl accompanied.

_“NO! You were not there. There was no other option. And I didn’t need a lecture especially not from a fellow Blade member. The mission is more important than the individual. All member of the Blade of Marmora know this. You too. So stop.”_ He didn’t wait for an answer. Thace’s hurt expression was an answer enough. He stormed down the corridor and went in his old room. His eyes are teary.

Thace watched as his love of his life angrily stormed away. He couldn’t go after him. It would only make the situation worse…and Keith wouldn’t want him to. It wasn’t his place it seemed. **_“It looks like really overstepped my boundaries this time”_** thought and walked down the hall in the opposite direction.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> to be continued ;D


	8. awkward moments

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this chapter's second half mostly canon. thought I warn you

After the paladins and Kolivan and Antok were done with Lotor’s interrogation, the blade of Marmora went back to their base. On the way back the tension in the ship was heavy and unpleasant. Kolivan and Antok whispered among themselves that just what happened between Keith and Thace while they was at the interrogation.

Keith and Thace was sitting face to face, but neither of them could or wanted to look at the other. Keith was still angry a little and Thace felt guilty but both of them felt mostly hurted.

Than Thace went to the cockpit to ask something from Kolivan.

Can’t bear the awkward atmosphere Antok went and sat down next to Keith.

“ _Little one, is everything okay?”_ asked the masked galra. Keith just nodded and let out a half annoyed-half sad galra noise. Antok leaned closer to him and whispered _“I don’t know what happened between the two of you, but if you want I’ll kick him in the ass for you.”_ To this Keith smiled a little, than frowned. _”No. it wasn’t his fault. It…it was mine. I shouted him really hard, and hurt his feelings”_

_______________________________--------------------------------_______________________________

Meanwhile with Thace

He went to the cockpit and turned to Kolivan.

 _“What do you think of Lotor?”_ then Antok went out of the cockpit and sat down next to Keith.

Kolivan just raised an eyebrow. “ _Are you sure this is what you want to talk about? I think you know me enough to guess my opinion about him.”_ The leader’s voice was disapproval.

 _“….hahh, and it seems you know me so much better than I know you.”_ Sighed the man.

 _“So? What happened between the two of you? Do I have to lecture him or you for something or what?”_ asked Kolivan, his face neutral.

 _“No, you don’t have to. No. It’s me. I think I really overstepped my boundaries this time.”_ Confessed sadly.

 _“Fool. You might know better than to force something when he upset and this time he was really at his limits.”_ Said firmly the leader to him.

_“I know but…wait how do you know what happened. We were shouting, but we weren’t that loud.”_

Thace just got a really unimpressed look from his leader his face shouted the sentence that “are you stupid or something. Who do you think I am?”

 _“Thace, of course I know he wanted to sacrifice himself. How can I be the leader of a secret spy organization if I don’t know about everything that happened to my subordinates?”_ Kolivan felt he really need a space coffee right now.

And that…that was the answer to all of his questions. “ _You are right_ ”

 _“Let him calm down a little and then just talk to him already. I can’t watch any longer your pinning and his cluelessness._ “Kolivan’s face turned in a grimace as if it meant physical pain to watch the interactions between Keith and himself. 

Thace opened his mouth to say something but nothing came to mind, so he closed it.

They arrived at the base went their separate ways. Thace went back to his room and laid on his bad. He was dead tired so he decided he’d take a nap.

______________________-------------------------------------------------------__________________________

Keith laid stood before the mirror in his bathroom and stared at his form and thought about just how many things happened in a short time, while he joined the Blades. His body changed but his mind changed too. He learned a lot about himself and his galra side. The only unanswered question was his mother. He know she’s galra (of course, just look at yourself) and she’s or was a Blade member (his Marmora blade was his mother’s originally). Kolivan didn’t tell him when he asked. He said he wasn’t qualified enough for this information. The strict bastard. But he will find out eventually ** _. “how much do I resemble her?”_** thought the boy. But his reflection didn’t responded to him, so he went to his bad and decided that he will go to sleep early.

The next quintant passed uneventfully. He still couldn’t talk to Thace but not because he was still angry. No that passed. But he was embarrassed about his outburst. It was childish from him. Clearly Thace was just worried about him. **_“I need to apologize_** ” thought. But it seemed the universe didn’t want to help so he didn’t see the man all quintant. **_“Maybe he got mad at me for shouting at him and he didn’t want to see me anymore”_** the thought left a pang in him. He considered the galra man a really close friend and now he insulted him **_“what I insulted him that much that he no longer want to talk to me ever again?”_** the thought filled him with despair and sadness. **_“I need to apologize even he won’t talk to me ever again”_** so he went to Thace’s room, but it was looked. He waited a little longer see if the door opens anyway but nothing happened. Then he went to the training hall, but he wasn’t there either. He visited the dining hall but nothing. Mad bay, than his room again, and in the end the hangar. In the hangar only one alien stood there. It was Regris. They didn’t talked to each other lately. Wasn’t enough time.

 _“Hey Keith what’s up? We haven’t talked in a while. Everything’s okay?”_ asked the older galra. They chatted a little about trivial thing, like how much a mother hen were the chiefs and the latest missions. About Voltron show and how glade was Keith he didn’t have to be involved in it. Eventually he asked Regris about Thace.

 _“Thace? Oh, he was in a meeting with me. He said he will go and train a little.”_ Than Regris’s lips turned into a sly smile. “ _Why are you asking? Do you want to repeat your hot training session that happened a few movements ago? I saw what happened between you to.”_

Keith’s face went tomato red immediately. He couldn’t say a word even if he wanted to. When Regris’s laughter of his reaction died out he wasn’t blushing anymore and said

 _“No...I need to talk to him. I might insulted him and I want to apologize_.” Said with a pout on his face.

 _“Insulted? How?”_ asked curiously the tailed galra.

 _“Umm...I shouted at him for some reasons. I don’t want to talk about it.”_ Said hurriedly the boy.

_“Alright. I won’t ask. Then I think you should go to the training hall and talk to him. Do you want me to accompany you there?”_

Keith nodded and they headed to the training hall. When they arrived Regris said his goodbye and left him alone. Just like Regris said Thace was in the training hall. He looked like he was deep in his thoughts while trained. He didn’t wanted to bother him, so he just sat down near the door and waited. Prepared himself for the inevitable.

__________________------------------------------------------------_____________________________

Bless the gods he was in deep cover mission for so long he easily could control his emotions if needed. And he really needed to control himself when he noticed Keith. He was sitting on the floor and watching him with a scowl on his face. **_“Is he still mad at me? Why is he just staring me? OH STAR! What if he wanted to train but he can’t because I am here. Is it some human thing? Should I leave? What if I insulted him that much he didn't want to talk to me anymore?”_** his thoughts swirled in his head. “ ** _Okay. Calm down. I need to apologize, even if he won’t talk to me again.”_** So he decided to end his training and talk to the younger man. His heart beat faster as he got closer to him. He stopped before him a few feet away and breathed deep.

“ _I need to talk with you”_ it got out harsher what he wanted to. He saw the boy’s shoulders tensed up immediately. It left a pang in him. 

_“Yeah. I need to talk to you too.”_ Said Keith in a small voice.

So they went out of the training hall. Thace walked in the front. Keith a few feet behind him. He leaded themselves in an empty corridor. In this time of the quintant it was empty so they could talk in private, but not closed place. He stopped and turned to the half galra

_“I want to apologize-“_

_“I wanted to say sorry-“_

They spoke at the same time. It was silent for a few tikks. Then before he could process what happened Keith stepped closer

 _“I ...I wanted to say sorry. I shouldn’t have shouted at you. I, know you was just worried about me, and it was childish from me. But I still think what I did was the right decision. I…I didn’t want to lose anyone anymore. So if it were a similar situation again, I would do it again.”_ Said the boy firmly. _“That’s all I wanted to say. I understand you don't want to talk to me again.”_ Keith stepped back and wanted to leave but Thace grabbed his hand.

 _“Wait! I..I wanted do apologize too. Yeah I was worried about you, but I still overstepped my boundaries. I am sorry. I shouldn’t have pushed the topic. I just…I consider you one of my closest friend. (Yeah nice try Thace) and I don’t want to lose you. I yeah.. I would have do the same in a situation like that. Hell I almost did it once. But you saved me. I…I really care about you.”_ Now he felt a blush creeping up on his neck and face. He couldn’t look at the young man’s eyes. Keith was blushing to. Thace was still holding Keith’s hand and now the two idiot was just too embarrassed to say or do anything waiting for the other.

Then Keith got impatient and just grabbed the taller man’s head and jerked down enough for him to scent the man. First Thace froze for one tikk but he quickly scented Keith back. They did not even notice that they were embracing each other. After sometime they separated. The both of them smiling.

(in the meantime, none of them noticed the two figure hiding behind the corner, watching and listening them. Than Regris handed Antok some GAC clicking his tong in frustration _. “See, I said they won’t confess to each other yet.”_ Said the bigger galra)

A few quintant passed. Keith was on a missions with Iluk and Vrek. They needed to sabotage the Kral Zera. But Shiro’s appearance with Lotor disrupted the plan. He saved Lotor’s life from the explosion. They were even now. But a fight broke out and everything went to hell. In the end Lotor became the new Emperor and he announced that the Galra Empire and Voltron will work together from now on.

When he arrived back to the base he was dead tired, but he have to take a visit to Ulaz because of his injuries. After the doctor patched him up we grabbed a quick dinner with Regris and Antok and went to sleep. 

The next few movement passed in the usual way. Training, sleeping, go to missions, training more and go missions more. Then one quintant Kolivan called him in the meeting room. He got a solo mission. It wasn’t the first one but it was the first when he did not have to obtain some intel but Blade member who was in deep cover for deca-phoebes, but her position was no longer safe. Her name is Krolia. And they needed to destroy some super weapon.

 _“do not let your feelings get in the way! The mission is utmost important.”_ Said the leader

Keith prepared for the mission and left.

Well…even getting to the galra base was difficult. He have to go through a battle filed, but his cruiser got hit and the landing was…well a shitty landing.

He sneak into the base, and went to find Krolia. He easily found her, but she was accompanied with some sentries. He was watching her when she suddenly stopped and looked in his direction. He quickly hide behind the corner but when he peeked out again Krolia was gone.

He suddenly felt a presence behind him. He activated his blade and turned to attack the figure, but stopped immediately. It was Krolia. And her blaster was pointed at him but when she saw his blade she lowered her gun.

They immediately got to work. When they wanted to enter the code to the weapon they got attacked by Commander Trugg.

 _“Surrender or die”_ said the commander.

And Krolia surrendered

 _“What are you doing?”_ shouted Keith

 _“I left you once. I’ll never leave you again_ ” said softly Krolia.

She made a deal with the Commander. The code to the super weapon for their lives and a ship. And of course the commander never wanted to keep her promise. Luckily Krolia knew that. And she also knew what the super weapon was so if commander Trugg and her company was killed by a weird monster no one would say a word.

Keith turned to the female galra. In her hands was his knife.

 _“I should to give it back to you”_ said the woman.

 _“How were you able to use it?”_ asked the boy with suspiciously.

_“Because it was used to be mine…before I give it to your father.”_

Keith was suspicious before but even so, he was shocked by what he heard. And it was certain now

“ _You are my…mother”_ his face was the equivalent of mix of shock and uncertainty and other things he couldn’t describe. _“How? How did you get to earth? Ho..how did you meet my father? How can you be so sure?”_

 _“I’m sure.”_ said softly the woman. That’s not how I wanted to meet you, and that’s not how I wanted to tell you. But it’s the truth. But we don’t time for this to right now. We talk about this later.

It saw so surreal and at the same time it wasn’t because well...just look at him and her. Like two eggs. Except the skin color. He felt a little betrayed, that they weren’t talking this out right now, but he understood that the mission comes first.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> from now on, time jumps may occur in the story


	9. it's happening

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> keith realize his feelings for Thace with krolia's help.   
> then they fight with Lotor

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> the chapter's second half is canon, and I tried to keep it short. so if you don't want to read it then skip it. (it's the fight with Lotor)  
> but the next chapter will be from Thace's view

Well…if someone said to him he will be lost in space (especially in a quantum abyss) with his alien mother and living on a space whale he'd be sure to send them to a psychologist.

They were there two movements already. No communication, no ship nothing. Just the two of them.

The atmosphere between them was awkward to put it mildly. And he couldn’t decide that they were able to see each other’s past and future, (thanks to the solar flares) helped or not. Luckily this memory waves was not frequent.

There was nothing to do so they talked. In the beginning Krolia answered his previous questions. Then they talked about the memories they saw. They talked about his father the garrison, the paladins, and his new appearance.

_“I wanted to ask you, what happened. When I last saw you look completely human. But that memory was an answered enough. Was it hurtful?”_ asked worriedly.

_“In the beginning, yes. But I was knocked out really quick so…”_ said the boy. They was sitting in their cave before the fire.

_“You look quite like me. I am sure that’s why Kolivan sent you. Hahh he really is a softie in the inside.“_ Giggled the woman.

Keith smirked “ _yeah, he is a mother hen. The whole Blade is.”_

Then they decided to hunt for dinner. At such time it was clear they were related. They could work in perfect sync.

A week passed in tentative questions.

Then there was a new memory wave. A memory about him and Thace. The time when they talked in that empty corridor embracing each other.

He was blushing hard. It was a really personal memory, and he still didn’t know, what is the name of this emotion he felt whenever he was with Thace. When the memory ended Krolia turned to him. She just raised an eyebrow. A few tikks passed but Keith still couldn’t look at her.

_“Sooo, do you want to talk about it or I have to figure it out by myself.”_ Asked Krolia. Her lips twitched with repressed smile.

_“Um...I...he...he’s name is Thace, and…um he is one of my closest friend.”_ Stammered the boy

“ _Friend_?” she was openly smirking at him now.

_“I just… really like to spent time with him. I feel safe and…and I feel I could be myself with him. We saved each other’s life multiple times. I trust him. And I know he trust me too. We care about each other. He…he really important to me.”_

“You are in love with him” said softly the woman.

Keith was tomato red. _“No! I.. I just-!”_ But he couldn’t finish his sentence. He just didn’t know what to say to it. He can’t be in love. **_“No, I isn’t in love. It can’t be love…can it?”_**

Krolia just waited for him to solve out his thoughts, smiling at him softly. And in that moment, Keith realized what was the name of the feelings he felt, when Thace was sitting close next to him, when Thace caressed his face or embraced him, or when the hot and heavy tension when they were too close or that memorable sparring.

_“…oh god. I really in love.”_ He didn’t realized at first that he said it out loud. But when he did he panicked and turned to his mom to say something but no words came out. Yes she is his mother, but he just met her a few weeks ago and he wasn’t sure how would she react to his love choice. So he just stared at her clearly in panic.

_“I’m happy for you. I can seem he cares about you to.”_ Her face soft. But then it turned hard suddenly. “ _But I must to say. If I think he doesn’t treat you well, I’ll have a few words to him”_

Keith just lowered his head a little. Not looking at her _“aren’t you disappointed in me?”_ asked in a small voice. His arms crossed.

“ _Keith_ …” said the galra woman lovingly and soft. Like a mother would. _“I would be never disappointed in you. And I can’t tell you who to love. It would be unfair from me.”_ Then she smiled “ _Not after MY choice.”_

Keith felt relived. After realizing his feelings for Thace and with his mother’s approval he really felt loved in that moment. The last time he felt like this, it was with his father.

Another couple of weeks passed. They found a wolf...well a space wolf. It was blackish blue and to their surprise it could teleport. They adopted it. Krolia wanted to name it to Yorak…but Keith insisted that if it was ready, it will tell them it’s name.

They were there one year already when they found a quiznaking ALTEAN. And after that, the events accelerated.

\-----------------------------------------______________________________--------------------------------------------

They were in the castle‘s bridge when the system indicated an unidentified altean ship.

_“Attention, altean pod! Identified yourself!”_ said Shiro in the opened comm system

_“Shiro it’s me.”_ Said Keith

After some question from the others that he didn’t answered, but got HIS answer about Lotor he landed in the hangar.

He got out of the pod. Standing tall. (and yes he could tell immediately that he was taller than Lance. Nearly as tall as Shiro)

“ _Keith is so good to see you.”_

_“Hold on! How we’ll know that you’re the real Keith and not his bigger, cool and grizzled older brother?”_ asked Lance standing before Keith

_“I don’t have time for this, Lance!”_ Keith practically shouted and walked past him.

_“HEY EVERYBODY KEITH’S BACK”_ and Lance threw his hand up in a faked annoyance.

_“We need to stop Lotor. He’s been lying to all of us.”_ Said firmly Keith to the others.

_“Lying about what?”_ asked Shiro uncertainly

“ _Everything_ ” said an unknown voice. That was the moment when Coran and the others noticed Keith’s company. A wolf, a fucking altean and a galra woman who looked REALLY similar to Keith. It was so obvious that she has some connection to the boy.

The altean’s name’s Romelle. And she told everything to the others about Lotor.

When Lotor and the princess got back and they confronted him, a lot of shit happened at the same time. Lotor’s generals attacked them, and Shiro went crazy suddenly and attacked hunk and escaped with unconscious Lotor and his company.

They needed to stop them with Voltron, but they were less with one paladin.

And then the black lion called out to Keith again. It’s roar magnificent.

They were fighting when a black-violet wormhole opened. It was Haggar’s wormhole. It was closing and they were not fast enough, so Keith ordered them to dismantle Voltron and he got through the wormhole just in time.

______________________---------------------------------------------_________________________

Keith know Shiro isn’t himself but he still followed the other man to a very ominous looking moon. And what he saw there shocked him to his core. Hundreds and hundreds of bodies, looking like Shiro, before the Kerbeross mission. Clones. They were clones of Shiro.

But he hasn’t have time for look around because Shiro-not Shiro attacked him. They fought hard and long. And Keith was losing it. Although Keith got stronger, but he couldn’t fight with all his might. Not against Shiro. Their fight also had an impact to the clone facility. It was falling apart.

Keith fell down on the ground and lost his Marmora blade. It was just out of reach but he couldn’t move an inch. Then Shiro wanted to kill him with a last deadly blow, but Keith prevented.

The older man was hovering above him, their blades pressing to the other’s. But Keith struggled.

_“Shiro, please” You’re my brother. I love you.”_ Begged Keith

And for one small tikk it made the older man to hesitate. But it also made him angrier. Shiro’s energy blade was so close to his face, that it burned his skin. Right there where his galra mark was on his right cheek.

With his last strength and a loud battle cry Keith cut off his brother figure’s steel made galra arm. And in that moment Shiro lost his fighting spirit. Shiro cried out painfully and his gaze cleared.

_“Keith…I, I am so sorry. I-“_ but he fainted. His sentence unfinished.

Keith climbed next to Shiro checking his vitals. It was weak. Really weak.

The facility was already in pieces. The piece on which they lay suddenly disintegrated and they began to fall. Keith prepared himself for death, but the black lion thought otherwise. It saved them. And it got them back to the others, whose were fighting with Lotor already. But without the black lion they didn’t have much of a chance. It the last moment Keith got there and saved them and they formed Voltron.

Then the real fight begun. As they jumped in the quintessence field the fight became more vicious. And they became more and more tired.

But they lost Lotor with his own weapon. His greed. They concentrated all of theirs and the lion’s quintessence and released it. Straight to Lotor. It was the most powerful attack they ever released. And it did it. They defeated Lotor and left the quintessence field and got back to their reality.

But the space-time fissures did not end with the end of the battle. The only way they could close them if they sacrifice the teludav. But the only teludav they had was in the castle. So...they needed to sacrifice the Castle of Lions. The only place they could call home in space. And they did it.

Only some of their personal belongings and the animals could fit in the lions. After they created the black hole with the castle they went to a nearby planet and Keith told them what happened with Shiro and him. With Allura’s altean magic, she was able to transplant the original Shiro’s consciousness into the dying clone’s body. They were tens and uncertain of the outcome.

But Allura was successful. The paladins quickly put Shiro in the only healing pod what they could fetch from the castle.

And now…it was time to go home. To go back to Earth.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> to be continued :D   
> sorry, I'm still working on the arts, and I don't have enough time because I write my dissertation during the day and at night I write the next chapter.


	10. Tears

They haven’t heard a word from Keith or Krolia since Krolia's Last report which said they would go after the new quintessence source. But it was 1 phoeb ago and not a word came from them. It was agonizing. And Thace know if Kolivan won’t receive a report from them at the end of this quintant than he will declares them dead. And they could be. Thace knew. It's the only reason why haven’t heard from them.

And it hurt a lot. He was completely devastated.

_"I can't lose him... Not like this. No"_

The effect of losing two excellent Blade members in one missions was huge. And no one wanted to say it out loud but the loss of the youngest Blade affected many of them. Especially his closest friends like Ulaz, Antok, Regris, and Thace. Even Kolivan. But the leader was so good to suppress his feelings.

And Thace... He just wanted to cry.

In the end of the day cycle Krolia and Keith were officially declared dead.

Thace stormed out of the meeting room heading to his own room. But he heard a small noise that sounded like a repressed cry. He went down the corridor and found Regris, hiding in a dark empty storage room. Crying.

_"Thace... It... It happened again. I...I lost my little brother again. Why? Why I can’t keep my family safe?”_ sobbed the tailed galra. His eyes color was an odd combination of yellow and reddish. Tears kept flowing. _"It hurts so much"_

Thace wanted to say something comforting, but he couldn’t. He wanted to cry too as openly as Regris. But he couldn’t. Not in front of the other. It would do no good for him. So he just embraced him and silently offered his shoulder. After Regris cried out his soul and just stood there staring at nothing, Thace took him in to Ulaz. " _He shouldn’t be alone right now"_ said to the doctor.

Then he finally got in his room. As soon as the Lock clicked... He broke down. He leaned on the door and slide down on the floor crying. It wasn’t the first time he lost a comrade. And it was t the first time they lost a young Blade. But it was the time he lost the person he was in love.

Luckily, he didn't have to go on a mission tomorrow. So has a night and a half day to mourning. And after that, he have to pull himself together and lock his heart forever.

„ ** _It was so foolish from me to fall in love during a war."_** sobbed **_"fuck... It really is hurting like a bitch."_**

After he couldn’t cry anymore he took a quick shower and went to sleep.

In the morning cycle he did his things automatically. He felt like a robot.

The others seemed to be grieving too. Regris was so broken that he never leaved Antok's side. He followed him like a shadow. Both of their tails was limp. Supporting each other silently. Ulaz held himself together like a doctor would. His grieving was silent. And Kolivan... Kolivan was a true leader. Never showing any weakness in front of them but they knew in private he is grieving too.

But the worst of it all, that there was nothing to “bury” In a secret spy base it cannot to be afford. Instead, they have a wall full of the dead Marmora member’s luxite blades. If they managed to collect it after their death. They couldn’t always afford it either. Such funerals were the worst. It looked like as if they never existed.

But they couldn’t afford to grieve for a long time. The war does not end just because they lost someone who was important to them. So they hardened their heart and soul and went to missions, meetings and fighting. And after seven phoeb the thing they feared the most happened. Voltron vanished. No one from the coalition heard from them since the light with Lotor. Yes the news with the new emperor reached them but the end game know nothing. Not Lotor, not Voltron was saw or heard of. Nothing. It seemed they killed each other. The loss of Voltron was a huge impact of the coalition and the Blade of Marmora. And it angered Haggar a lot. 

When they received a distress call from a member of the coalition, asking for help to fight against the empire, they weren’t ready for a full force attack from the empire. Haggar and her druids killed the whole population of the planet and she set a trap for them.

Total destruction. They were outnumbered. Thace lost sight of his closest friends and was fighting against one of the druids on an edge of a cliff. A river below them. He was losing he know, but he didn’t want to give up. Not yet ** _. “_** ** _I won’t leave you behind!”_** heard Keith’s voice in his head. So he fought till he couldn’t breathe or move. And then the druid successfully hit him with a powerful electric attack. And he fell…he was ready to die. So he just closed his eyes and waited for the darkness to take over.

______________________________------------------------------------------__________________________

They were losing. Kolivan know. He saw Thace falling down of the cliff, he saw Ilun take a hit meant for Vrek. And he saw Vrek dying from a nasty surprise attack while he tried to protect Ilun’s body. Antok was the closer to him, but he was severely injured. And he cannot see Ulaz and Regris. He worried. Many of his subordinate…no comrades were killed already. He was fighting 3 druids by himself. There was huge explosion not too far from him, he didn't pay attention for just a moment and after that….darkness.

_____________________------------------------------------------------------------________________________

Kolivan opened his eyes and realized he was captured. The druid who captured him was especially cruel. He tortured him. Not just physical but also mentally. The druid played with his mind like a child would with a toy. And he showed him the many blade the druid collected. Declaring them death. And the creature smiled and laughed at him.

He didn't know how long he had captured. But it didn’t mattered. He was just tired. Really tired. And he closed his eyes and welcomed the darkness again.

_______________________--------------------------------------------____________________________

There was a commotion he knew. But he couldn’t see it. And it didn’t mattered a lot. He couldn’t move, and in this three deca-phoeb he was here, anyone who got in Macidus’s hiding place, died. So he closed his eyes again.

_“He is in a bad shape, but he will be alright”_ he heard a voice of someone. Than he opened his eyes and the sight shocked him. But it was a good shock. It got tiny tears in his eyes. He could recognize this armor anywhere. The paladins of Voltron. But his attention was on the two closest figure. It was Krolia and Keith. And the most important thing was that they were ALIVE.

He was so happy to see them. But then he remembered of his comrades.

_“The others…many of them are gone. I’m sorry. I couldn’t protect them.”_ Confessed the man _. “And I don't know what happened to those who escaped.”_

_________________-----------------------------------------------------------------_______________________

The news of the Blade of Marmora’s destruction felt like a truck went through of him three times. He looked at his mother and saw in her eyes that she felt the same.

_“Do we know who_ (died _)…who could be alive?”_ asked the boy. Krolia and Kolivan could easily read his thoughts. He wanted to know what happened to his closest friends.

_“No. but I have to find them. “_ Said the galra firmly. Keith sadly lowered his head. He know it was really possible that his friends died…and the person he loved. 

_“I’ll will go with you”_ said Krolia looking a little sad.

_“What? But...”_ Keith couldn’t finish his sentence. He know this is the right choice for his mother. Let Kolivan search of the remaining blade members alone would be foolish, but on the other side he just got her back. Yes they spent 2 years on a space whale together, but still. It wasn’t enough.

_“Keith…you know this is the right decision. I promise you, I will come back to you.”_ Said Krolia softly

When the others prepared for leaving the place Kolivan, Krolia and Keith stand a little away from them.

_“Be careful, Keith. Please.”_ Krolia hugged him, smiling a little smile.

_“You too mom. Come back to me.”_ Whispered back Keith. But he couldn’t smile at her. She looked at him

To their utter surprise Kolivan joined to them. Wrapping his long arms around the two. Their eyes glowed faintly in the semidarkness of the cave.

_“I am glad that you two are alright.”_ Said the leader with an uncharacteristically soft voice. Then added a little sharply “ _but stop compromising the mission.”_ giggled the man

Keith left them alone for a moment and went back to help his team.

Krolia didn’t looked at the galra man but she know he was listening.

_“He is dead isn’t he?”_ asked. Knowing the other would understand her question.

_“Yeah, he is. I’m sorry. I couldn’t tell him_ ” said gloomy the leader

_“No. it’s for the best right now. He need to concentrate_.” Said Krolia.

The paladins and Coran and Cosmo (yes the name remained on the wolf) left to Earth while Krolia and Kolivan went to search for the hidings blade agents.

\--------------------------------------________________________________------------------------------------------

When they arrived at their solar system, they hide the lions in Saturn’s ring, and went to Earth in a galra cruiser they captured before.

After ~~crashing~~ landing, roaming in the destroyed city they got attacked. And of course it was James fucking Griffin and someone he didn’t know, who helped the out. They got in the vehicles and went back to the Galaxy Garrison. On the way he left his helmet on. Looking like the enemy would do no good things.

He was nervous. He didn’t know what will happen when the have to take off his helmet. He know the others would protect him if needed, but he was an outcast before, when he was looking human, but now, with his elongated ears, his fangs and claws, his purple markings (one of them still a little pinkish thanks to the scar he revived from the Shiro clone) and his distinctive yellow scleas...if he is lucky they won’t shoot him down on first sight.

They arrived. Pidge literally jumped out of the vehicle strait into her mother’s waiting arms. Lance was virtually knocked down by his family, piled in a huge group hug. Hunk…hunk was happy for them but when he couldn’t saw his family he just couldn’t smile anymore. They were captured by the galra.

“ _SHIRO_?” shouted a voice. Keith and Shiro looked at the direction of the voice and immediately froze up on sight. But Shiro quickly started to run to the man who was also running to him. It was Adam.

“ _Adam_!” shouted Shiro. They fell to the ground intertwined in a loving embrace.

_“I am so sorry for what I said to you before Kerbeross. I am sorry, so sorry”_ sobbed Adam.

_“It’s okay, I am sorry too. I could have been more understanding. I missed you so much. I love you.”_ Said Shiro. He was sobbing too. The two man just blabbed their apology and love for each other.

When they can stand up again Iverson stepped before Shiro saying he was sorry for his quarantine. Shaking hands. After that Shiro introduced to him the alteans. Allura, Coran and Romelle.

Keith was still wearing his helmet and tried to not to attract attention, but he knew it was inevitable to took off his helmet.

And Iverson turned to him. “If the news are correct, you are cadet Kogane. I you still don’t know how to behave in front of your commander.” Said Iverson to him. “why aren’t you taking off your helmet?”

It was Shiro who spoke.

_“Commander, please wait for-“_

_“It’s okay Shiro. I need to tell them anyway. And you know that word not my strength.”_ Said the boy, and breathed deep. He took of his helmet, already prepared for any kind of attack.

He heard the guns charging up but no one shoot at him. Waiting for the order

_“A GALRA!”_ Shouted someone.

_“HALF! Galra.”_ Said Keith firmly. “ _And I am not the enemy.”_

_“Yeah, say that to the family of the dead’s.”_ said the voice again. It was Griffin. His gun pointing at him.

Shiro stepped before Keith, his face hard _. “He is still Keith. You can’t blame him for something he has no control over it. Yes, he is half galra but he is one of us. He is my friend, and my comrade. ”_

Allura stepped next to him _“He is one of my family. I won’t let you hurt him_.” Said firmly.

_“Yeah, if you have a problem with our leader, you have to go through us first.”_ Said Lance winking at Keith.

_“Commander! Keith is the black paladin, leader of Voltron, and he is a member of the Blade of Marmora. Our allies. They are a resistance group, full of galras.”_ Said Shiro, stepping one step forward.

_“Put your guns away!”_ ordered the Commander _. “Well, technically, Kogane not a cadet anymore, but one of our allies, and is very strongly protected it seems. We have a war to worry about. I don’t need a universal conflict because one of us accidentally shoot him.”_ The man stepped forward, extending his hand to Keith. “ _I heard what you did out there. I was wrong about you. I apologize.”_ Said the man

_“I have to apologize to you to, sir. I wasn’t the best cadet after all.”_ Said Keith and shook the man’s hand.

_“And I must add, you being half galra, explains a lot. But it will take some time for us to get used for your appearance.”_ Commented Iverson, his lips twitching up a little. Keith looked at Griffin. The brown haired man just stared at him for a few sec but didn’t said anything and left the field.

_“Well, if we are finished with this drama, we have a war to win.”_ Said the commander and they went in the Garrison and started to plan.

_____________________________-----------------------------------------------________________________

It would have been alright if Admiral Sanda does not betray them. But in the end she just wanted to protect the people. But she didn’t know Sendak. And she died while trying to make her wrong decision to right.

After Keith killed Sendak, they couldn’t rest yet. They were already tired, when a weir looking and INTELIGENT robeast attacked them. Clearly sent by Haggar. They fought with everything they had. Even Shiro magically transformed Atlas for a giant robot and fought alongside with Voltron. And they defeated it but for a high price. The explosion was huge, and the lions crushed into Earth in different places. Shiro was frantic. He couldn’t do anything just watch how his friends scarified themselves, and watch how they fell from space like colorful shooting stars. The lions just laid there unmoving and dark.

__________________----------------------------------------------------------------________________________

Keith opened his eyes. His head hurt but he ignored it. When he turned his head to the window, his eyes widened. His mother and Kolivan was there. Silently waiting for him to wake up.

“ _Mom_ , _Kolivan_ ” his voice cracked “ _you are back_ ” his eyes tearing up.

_“Keith, my baby, didn’t I tell you to be careful?”_ said his mother her voice wavering with repressed crying. _“I am so glade you are awake.”_ She hugged him.

Kolivan was openly smiling at him. Like a proud parent would. _“I’m also glad you woke up. It was time already.”_ Said the galra. He got up from the windowsill and stepped next to his bed. “ _I am proud of you Keith”_ said Kolivan. For once he didn’t repressed his feelings.

Keith learned that the other paladins was out of the hospital. He spent there one more week, when the doctors said he is good enough to leave. He also learned from Kolivan, that when he and Krolia got back they were barely admitted to the Garrison, and after she heard that he was in hospital in critical status, she literally fought her way in the hospital _. “You should have seen. I almost forgot what it’s like when someone stands between a galra mother and her child. There is nothing more dangerous in the whole universe, than this. Poor humans…”_ said Kolivan smirking a little.

_“They learned their lessons_ ” said Krolia complacently.

There was a meeting about the next steps, but in the end of it Krolia stood up to get their attentions.

_“I have to tell you, that ours mission was successful, and we gathered the remaining Blade members. They will arrive today evening.”_

Keith eyes shot up immediately. “ _There is-“_ but he didn’t want to finish his sentence. Not hoping for anything would be better.

Only a few hours left for their arriver. So Keith went to his room (the paladins got a isolated quarter from the other Garrison members) and got ready. He took a shower, and dressed in his Marmora outfit. Carrying his blade.

They were at the hangar. The paladins, Shiro, Coran, Romelle, Cosmo. And from the Garrison there was Iverson, Sam Holt, and James Griffin.

When the ships door opened 8 masked figure stepped out of it. And his breath hitched.

He could recognize two member immediately, because their tails. When the smaller one noticed him, he literally jumped on him.

“ _KEITH_!” shouted Regris, deactivating his mask. “ _OH STARS! You are alive. You are fine. I am so glad I didn’t lost you.”_ Cried the galra.

Then Antok stepped next to him and put his big hand on his shoulder. _“You got bigger but you are still the smallest Blade ever”_ Keith huffed at him in amusement. But there was another noise not far from them. James huffed too, but not because of amusement. Antok stepped one step closer, standing higher “ _if you have a problem with my fried, I’m gladly exchange some words with you.”_ And that mad an impact on the humans. Even the paladins shuddered of the thought of fighting Antok. 

_“It so good to see you Keith,”_ Ulaz stepped next to him, giving another bone crushing hug. _“I want to check your medical records of your latest injuries. Just to be sure you are fully okay.”_

_“Ulaaazz, no. no med stuff today_.” Said Keith with faked annoyance. But his smile betrayed him.

Then Ulaz leaned closer and whispered in his _ear “There is someone who really want to see you. Please save him from Krolia for ours sake.”_

And Keith looked in the direction of her mother. And he breathed sharp. The person who was speaking with his mother was the man, who was so important to him.

“ _Thace_ ” said the man’s name so softly no one heard it. Then he started to run to the galra’s direction. Thace noticed him and started to run too.

“ _Keith_!” said Thace. His voice cracked. They fell on the floor in a tight embrace. They immediately scented each other. They were intertwined for a few tikks when,

_“Oh my god, they are rea-“_ Lance’s voice was cut off, by Allura’s hand on the Cuban boy’s mouth.

And that got their attention. They quickly let the other go and stood awkwardly next to each other. Luckily just Krolia, Lance and Allura saw their interactions. The others was busy with their reunion or in the Garrison member’s sake, their introductions.

_“I’m so glad that you are alive. We though you and Krolia died on your mission.”_ said Thace, looking shy

_“I am also glad that you are alive too. I was worried. “_ said Keith softly. He really missed the man. But now that he know he is in love with him, he felt a little awkward. He decided a long time ago that he won’t tell Thace. He was sure the other man did not reciprocate his feelings. **_“he surly think of me as his little brother, like Regris”_**

But right now, it was enough. He got back his mother, his friends and the man he is in love. He was completely happy right now.

_“Now that everyone is here, we can start preparing for the last battle.”_ Said Shiro loud enough for everyone to hear. _“But not today. And not tomorrow. Tomorrow we organize a festival and enjoying ourselves a little.”_ Announced the Atlas’s captain.

Yeah, tomorrow, is Clear Day. Everyone decided they would fully enjoy it. 


	11. Clear day

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's Clear day but a little different ;D and there are some shenanigans

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> oops I did it again XD

They arrived at the festival site. Everyone got 10 token for playing, eating or buying stuffs. Even the Blade main members and the Holt family was there. As soon as Coran lent them the tokens Lance and Allura went to “their first date” as Lance called it. Pidge and Regris decided to play some hit and win games. Ulaz accompanied Hunk for his gastronomy adventure. Shiro and Adam just vanished somewhere, not bothering to tell the others. Coran said he’ll look around at first then after that will he decide what to do. 

Krolia, Kolivan, Antok, Thace and Keith remained, silently blinking, wondering about the others quick leaving.

Than Krolia secretly glanced at Kolivan. He glanced back at her and they looked at Antok. The two male galra just nodded understanding her in a silent conversation. And took off to the shooting games direction.

_“Well…do you want to look around?”_ asked Thace noncommittally.

_“Yeah why not.”_ answered the boy.

____________________--------------------------------------------------------__________________________

Lance and Allura just won a red and a blue lion for each other when Lance noticed them.

_“Hey Allura! I have an idea.”_ Said lance with a meaningful smirk in his voice. And pointed to Keith and Thace direction. She followed his sight.

_“What are you thinking?”_ asked the princess with a sly smile on her lips.

_“I think we should give them a little push, because...well, just look at them. At this rate nothing will happened. They are so awkward that I feel embarrassed now.”_ Said the Cuban boy.

_“I understand what you are saying. And I have a wonderful idea about how can we help them.”_ She was now openly smiling at him, her eyes sparkling _. “I saw a line where lot of pairs waited for some roller-coaster thing. I know Keith likes extreme things and I bet Thace too. I would be perfect”_

_“I don’t know… I thought something more romantic. But you’re probably right. Mullet isn’t a romantic type. He wouldn’t even notice it if you pushed it into his face.”_

So they sneaked behind them and when the time was right they pushed the two man into the line, right at the entrance. They watched as the owner herded them in.

_“It’s done. Do you want to drink something while they are in?”_ asked Lance, while offering his arm like a true gentleman would.

_“It would be lovely.”_ Said Allura and accepted the offered arm, hooking hers in, and the pair went to the drinking area smiling at each other.

_____________________----------------------------------------------------------______________________

Keith didn’t know how they got in the line of this disaster.

_“Hey, don’t be like that. It can’t be that bad. It’s just a roller-coaster”_ said Thace giggling a little.

_“Yeah, you are right_.” Sigh Keith

The car moved and went in a dark room. “ _Well if it gets so dark all the way then it will be at least a little exciting.”_ Said the boy. But as soon as he finished the lights turned on and a bunch of Drazanian SINGING doll appeared. Keith expression fell immediately.

_“Well…it is not what I expected. Hope it’s over soon_.” Said Thace, mirroring his emotions. But fate was a bitch so the car stopped. It broke down. So they were sitting in the pinkish light listening the horrible song about how great it the clear day.

The song got more and more intensive. It annoyed Keith a LOT. His ears couldn’t stand the too loud music. So he closed his eyes, gritting his teeth and trying very hard, to not destroying the whole place. But suddenly the music got dull. His eyes snapped open and he turned to Thace in wonder. The man put his hands on his ears, trying to protect them from the music.

The man just smiled at him apologetically. “ ** _His ears is more sensitive than mine_** _”_ thought the boy and he returned the gesture. It wasn’t perfect, they still could hear the music and the position wasn’t the best either, but it was all they could do.

And after 10 minutes of sitting there trapped, the car started to move again just to break down again after two feet. And that moment was when Keith decided it was enough.

He summoned his Bayard.

_“I had enough of this. We are leaving_ ” said the boy. He know Thace would be happy to get out of there too, so he just cut in two the cars security barrier and made them a new exist with cutting the tent’s side.

When the two successfully got out, Keith buried his face in his palm.

“ _The living hell_ ” murmured.

“ _Agree_.” Answered Thace

_____________________________------------------------------------------------________________________

Pidge and Regris wanted to buy the present, but they didn’t have enough ticket for it, when Allura and Lance made their way to them.

_“Hey guys, what’s up?”_ asked Lance

_“We don’t have enough ticket for that”_ pointed pidge to the target of her interest.

_“Then get more.”_

_“We spent all of ours tokens.”_ Said sadly Regris. His tail lowered.

_“Can’t you just ask some from your father?”_ sked the Cuban boy. So pidge went to her family for the hope of getting more tokens.

_“And what did you two do?”_ asked Regris curiously.

“ _We tried to bring Mullet and Thace together.”_ Answered the red paladin.

“ _Ooh_ ” said excitedly the tailed galra “ _and it worked?”_

_“Unfortunately not. We got them in some kind of roller-coaster but it turned out disastrously. We saw them fleeting the tent.”_ Said sadly Allura.

_“No-no. Your plans were not good enough. Let me help you a little.”_ Said the galra as he put one arm on lance’s shoulders. _“The place was inadequate. There have to be some excitement, but the most important thing is the closeness and the vibe of the place.”_ Said Regris expertly 

“ _Than what are you suggesting? Throw them in a dark closet or what_?” asked Lance.

_“Wouldn’t it be inappropriate_? “ asked the princess worriedly.

“Well as effective as it would be, I fought of something else. But a little similar. I saw somewhere near a haunted house.” Said the galra.

Lance eyes sparked with understanding.

_“Hell yeah, that would do the thing. You are a genius_.” Shouted excitedly _“are you coming with us to see what will happen?”_

“ _Of course_.” Answered Regris with a wide smile. They waited for Pidge to ask that she is interested, but she turned them down and left to find Hunk and Ulaz.

After that they went to find the two idiot (alias Keith and Thace) and ask if they are interested in the haunted house.

___________________________------------------------------------------------__________________________

Keith and Thace just stared at the stage in disbelieve and amusement, because on the stage, was Coran screaming like a Yalmor and the audience thought this was completely normal. They even enjoyed it based on success.

“Well… that is just weird” said Keith. Thace just nodded in agreement.

_“KEITH! THACE_ ” shouted someone not so far from them. It was Regris, Keith knew immediately. But when they turned to him they noticed that Regris was not with Pidge or alone. Lance and Allura was with him instead.

_“Hey guys. What’s up?”_ asked them.

_“We found a haunted house. Do you want to check it out?_ “ asked the tailed galra smirking.

_“Yeah, Mullet, come with us. It’s a space haunted house. You don't see that every day.”_ Said the Cuban boy while holding Allura’s hand.

_“I agree, and I think we should go and see it. I never was in a haunted house before.”_ Said Allura an excited smile on her lips.

_“It sounds fun. Why not?”_ said Thace. _“Coran’s competition will take some more time, so we can watch the final, when we are done. “_

_“Fine. Why not_ ” agreed Keith finally.

They went to the space haunted house and waited for their turn. Only one pair was allowed in at a time. Lance and Allura went first than Regris with some other alien girl, who was making eyes at him while they were waiting in the line. They heard screams and shouts but everyone got out with a big smile on their faces.

When they went in the house they didn’t know that what will happen. It was dark. Even to their sensitive galra eyes extent.

The whole composition was based on the fact that they have to walk in the dark and when something creepy or frightening happened the suddenly bright lights turned on for one tikk, to blind them afterwards. And there was sound too. But it was scarier when the sounds stopped and even they can’t hear anything, but their breathing.

As they went more and more farther in, it got more and more scary. Keith and Thace wasn’t the jumpy kind but this place got under their skins. There were all kind of monsters and creepy figures who wanted to touch them. Of one point there was something cold and slimy thing which dripped down on their necks.

Keith hated cold. It was a galra thing. So when the disgusting thing touched his skin, he jumped up a little alarmed and instinctively grabbed what was closest to him. It was Thace.

But it startled Thace too and they stumbled. The two man got stuck in something tendril like thing and they fell down to the floor. Limbs intertwined.

“ _Ouch_ ” said Thace laying on his back.

_“I’m sorry, are you okay?”_ asked Keith laying on top of Thace. He wanted to stand up, but he didn’t have enough place to move. The maximum he could do, was straddling Thace and pushing up his upper body. Now he was sitting on Thace’s waist. Thace looked up at him at the same time when Keith looked down and they realized at the same time of their quiet intimate position.

Luckily for them that in the dim light neither of them could see the other’s blushed expression.

Then the cold slimy thing dripped down again on Keith’ neck.

“ _Wah_!” cried out the half galra and tensed up immediately.

_“What’s wrong?”_ asked Thace worriedly and sat up. But because of the movement, their groins rubbed against each other. They groaned at the feeling.

**_“Shit, I need to stand up now or it will not end well”_** thought the boy.

Now Thace was so close to him that he could feel the other’s breathe against his cheeks. One of Thace’s hand on his waist, the other hold the man stabile.

Keith’s hand was on the galra’s chest (for balance of course). From this distance they could see each other.

_“Nothing…it was just that slime thing again.”_ said softly Keith. His voice was almost a whisper.

_“I see_ ” whispered back Thace. It seemed he didn’t noticed that his hand wandered down to Keith’s thigh. But Keith was very aware of it. His breathe hitched a little and he automatically moved closer to the man. Just a few were inch between them. Thace other hand went up to the back of his neck, and whipped down the slime. His touch felt like fire. Then the galra’s hand that was resting on his neck, now wandered down to his waist.

They were slowly leaning towards each other, when a sudden light turned on, startling the two men.

_“Hey everything’s okay? So sorry guys. Some of the cables got out of place and my colleague told me that the two of you got stuck in it.”_ Said the alien who was now standing next to them.

The alien help to unwrap the cables that kept them trapped. It was sooo embarrassing.

Keith just wanted to hide in a hole. Never facing the world ever again.

_“There. It’s done. Do you want to continue the program or not?”_ asked the alien from them totally nonchalantly. _“We cannot refund the price, but we can offer a coupon at the buffet.”_

Thace looked at Keith but the boy was looking the floor. “ _We want to get out of here now”_ said the galra. The alien showed them the exit and left _._

The silence between the two was nerve-racking, but neither of them know what to say.

_“Hey there you two. You have been inside long enough. What happened?”_ asked Regris who was waiting for them close to the exit.

_“We got stuck in.”_ said Keith. Arms crossed and not looking anyone in the eyes.

_“Well now you are out. You missed Coran’s victory. But there is another competition. It’s Arm wrestling, and Shiro is participating._ “ said the tailed galra.

They went there to watch the match. They heard Adam’s loud cheering: “SHOW THEM TAKASHI!” and the others: ”COME ON SHIRO. YOU CAN DO IT”. Even Kolivan, Antok and Krolia was there. Their arms was full of things. It seemed they won something in every stand they visited. (Probably thanks to their super space ninja technics)

They joined the others and after some time both Keith and Thace calmed down and could enjoy the show. Shiro won the competition and he became the new champion.

After some celebration they got back to the lions and the shuttles and went back to the Atlas. Everyone was tired. The paladins had their own quarter like usual, Shiro and Adam shared a bigger room like back at the garrison and the blade members got their own quarter too.

Keith was in the shower. His thoughts wandered back to the haunted house.

**_“Oh, god. I nearly kissed him. And it seemed he WANTED to KISS me too. Fuck, I nearly got hard. It would have been so_** ** _embarrassing.”_** Thought the boy while tried to calm down. After a really long bath he went to his room and got comfortable in his bed. The thought of the “almost kiss” never leaving his mind completely.

And just he couldn’t have a restful night, his thoughts wandered to the direction of “what if’s and what would have’s”.

“ ** _What would have happened if the alien man didn’t show up?”_**

Groaning irritably that he couldn’t sleep, he turned on his other side totally not thinking of today’s events.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> we are closing to the end.


	12. Hapiness

They were searching for Haggar, now called Honerva after she received her memories and is no longer under the influence of the evil entity.

After Clear Day, Allura trained her alchemist altean magic. But she had to pay for the greater power. She let inside herself a small amount of the evil entity which poisoned Honerva’s mind in the first place. But now the two altean woman linked by a bond. And they could find the witch.

Voltron and Atlas was traveling through space and the paladins traveled into an expansive void accessed through Allura's mind and arrived a place that looked like the Astral Plane but it was the door of Honerva’s mind. But there some creepy hands appeared and kidnapped everyone expect Keith to different places. They couldn’t hear or see each other. And then, some creepy dark figures appeared and attacked the paladins. Keith remained alone. No figure attacked him but he couldn’t reach hi team members.

“ ** _No!! NO! Give them back. I can’t lose my family again. GIVE THEM BACK! I have to save them!”_** his thoughts swirled inside his head while he tried to break through the dark wall, which the others have disappeared.

When Allura reached out for the entity inside her to give her more power to save them, the lions appeared each one of it’s paladin, and helped to break the curse on the dark figures. They were the original paladins. There were now nine paladins (while Zarkon was not there) and Allura met her father finally. Their reunion was full of emotions. Now they could go in Honerva’s mind. As they went further and further inside he mind the paladins fought more and more. And they arrived the Altea of Honerva. And the paladins have to fight Zarkon (again) but he was too strong. But the originals paladins lent them their power and together they freed out the true Black Lion inside Zarkon and his soul. Now there were 10 paladins and together they found out what was Honerva’s plan. And it was shocking and sad at the same time. She just wanted THE life she never had. A happy life with her husband and child living together. But in order to achieve this, other realities must be destroyed.

They get out of Honerva’s mind but it was a rough trip and Allura fainted. They have to go back to the Atlas and prepare a plant to take down the witch. Lance was worried. The plan was too risky and they were relying Allura’s power to much. So of course Lance was worried for her. But they didn’t have other choice.

As Honerva travelled through realities to realties searching for her perfect world but finding no such thing, she decided to destroy every realities. If she couldn’t be happy than no one will. Voltron and Atlas merged and fought and chased Honerva to the last remaining reality. They did not fight with weapons but with words. The paladins and Shiro tried to convince Honerva to stop finally.

 _“There was a time when you loved more than just your family. A time when your fascination with how vast the universe is, gave way to your desire to help and up lift others."_ Said Allura to the woman, trying to remind her of her old self.

And they did it. They convinced her. But she couldn’t do it by herself. Honerva needed Allura’s help, but it meant the two alteans have to sacrifice themselves.

 _“I give you a moment alone with them. Go and said your goodbyes_ ” said softly Honerva.

Allura went to the paladins and said goodbye to everyone separately.

 _“No Allura, please”_ begged the boy, crying hard.

 _“Lance…I am sorry. So sorry. But I have to do this…there is no other way.“_ said the princess who was now crying hard _. “And I want to thank you for loving me. I love you.”_ And kissed him. As she kissed the boy I lance’s face appeared two gloving blue altean marks.

 _“I love you too. I will miss you so much.”_ Cried Lance while he embraced her for the last time.

And Allura stepped next to Honerva, holding her hand. They closed their eyes and concentrated their quintessence. And a white light covered everything.

__________________----------------------------------------------------------------_________________________

Allura opened her eyes. She was in a white astral plane-like place. Next to her Honerva gazing up to the even whiter sky. Around them gloving gold things floated peacefully.

“ _I didn’t know death is so peaceful_ ” said the princess, while looking around.

“ _Death? No it isn’t death”_ said the other woman. Allura looked surprised

_“Then what is this place?”_

_“It the opening and ending of time and space. Now I remember. I was here before. I died for a moment in the rift then. But the entity brought me back.”_ She was now looking at her " _and I think there is a reason why we are here. You have to go back”_

 _“But it's impossible!!! If I go back, all reality will be destroyed.”_ Said the princess incredulously

 _“No. when I and my husband rose from the death it unbalanced the power in time and space, and in the quintessence of the universe. Zarkon is already retuned to the great quintessence and now I have to. But you aren’t meant to. The balance would be upset again. You have to go back and live. It’s not your time yet to die.”_ smiled softly the older woman.

_“But you don’t have enough power to restore all the realities alone”_

_“Silly child. My death and your will to die is enough. Bu it possible that, you have to sacrifice something for the way back.”_ Honerva stepped closer to her and placed her palms on her cheeks. _“Now, go back to your family, and take care of the others too”_ said the woman smirking a little. A white-blue light wrapped their bodies and Allura closed her eyes.

______________________________---------------------------------------___________________________

A white light emerged and Allura and Honerva disappeared in it. The paladins was devastated. The loss of the princess was too much. Now they were in the lions (Shiro was with Keith in black) floating in there solar system. The blue lion now lifeless.

No one wanted to speak up first. They were mourning. And Lance….Lance was the quietest. They could hear in their linked comm system his quiet cries.

They just floated for a while not wanting to move. Then hunk noticed something and knowing it would be important he decided to break the ice.

 _“Umm..Guys_ ” his voice cracked “ _I…I think this two planet wasn’t there before”_

Pidge was the next who could put her emotions away for one tikk and check out the situation.

 _“Yeah, you are right. I scanning them now. Wait a tikk”_ said strongly _. “It can’t be! It’s says its Altea and Daibazaal! “_ shouted excitingly

Now everyone looked the new planets. Then there was a sudden white light around them.

“ _What was that?”_ shouted Keith alarmed.

 _“I hope not another attack from some new big evil space lord or something.”_ Babbled Hunk.

 _“It came from Altea.”_ Said pidge her voice tense.

And then the blue lion lightened up and roared magnificently and took off to the direction of Altea. The others following.

They landed on a juniberry meadow and got out of the lions but halted immediately. On the ground laid Allura, hundreds of thousand flower around her. They quickly ran up to her. Lance got there first, crashing on his knees next to her.

“ _Allura_ ” his voice shaking. He cradled her upper body and quickly check he vitals. “ _She’s alive_ ” whispered the boy. And he cried again but now from relief and happiness. Her love of his life is alive and in his arms. The others got there too and saw the boy’s relieved expression. But then the figure in Lance’s arms moved signing she would wake up really soon. Allura’s eyes opened slowly and she looked at the boy above her.

“ _Hello_ ” said the boy.

“ _Who are you? Where am I?”_ asked the princess, but smiled a little smile.

Lance first reaction was fright and panic, but then it clicked.

“ _I’m Lance, and you’re right here in my arms”_ answered and giggled in a watery voice. _“I missed you so much. I am so glade you’re back”_

 _“I am glade too. And I missed you too. I love you”_ said the princess and kissed him softly.

The other paladins were crying too. Happily greeting the altean and asking questions at the same time.

_“Allura…what, what happened?” “I am so glade you are okay” “We need to celebrate” “how are you,” how is it possible?”_

And then, Allura told them what happened, and how she got back.

 _“A price? And what it was?”_ asked pidge

 _“I…I can’t feel quintessence now. I lost my alchemist ability.”_ Said the princess a little sad smile on her lips. “But it is a small price to be with you all. “ her smile widened and her eyes shined with happiness. 

__________________________----------------------------------------_________________________

Time skip

__________________________---------------------------------------__________________________

After the paladins went back to Earth and peace begun, there were still a lot of work to create a united and peaceful universe. But before Shiro could dive in his work, Adam engaged him again and they got married finally. They spent their honeymoon on a tropical like planet with beautiful sunsets and pink ocean. 

Lance and Allura married too, after Shiro and Adam got back and they moved to New Altea. Allura was still a princess and she have to take care of her people but they lived a simply life in a nice house.

Pidge joined to the Garrison’s technology development department with her brother

Hunk opened a universal restaurant, cooking foods for all kind of alien. He also often call for diplomatic dinners for cooking.

And Keith travelled with the Blades. They were now a charity organization.

They still spared with each other and trained new agents because it was fun, as Regris said once.

And now that there were peace Keith decided to do something about the “Thace thing.”

They were more awkward with each other once there wasn’t a war to distract their attentions.

The other Blead members gave up to bring them together and rather made a bet on when it would happen.

Keith and Thace were in the meeting room of the new base on New Daibazaal, sorting reports out. They were so close to each other that he could feel the other man’s body heat. He glance up to the man who was deep in thoughts. The temptation to just kiss the man was great and he wasn’t famous for his patience. “ ** _Oh, fuck it”_** thought and stood on his tiptoes, grabbed the galra’s head and jerk it down for a kiss. Thace frozen for a moment than he kissed him back fiercely. Pushing him against the wall. Now Keith was trapped between the wall and Thace but he didn’t minded.

“ _Thace_ ” gasped Keith between shattered breathes and more kisses. Thace kissed him one more time, but it was now slower and more sensual.

“ _Keith_..” said his name the man. Their bodies pressing, breathes heavy and hot.

 _“I should have done this much sooner. You’re an amazing kisser.”_ giggled the boy. Putting his arms around Thace’s neck, bringing him even more closely.

The man smirked _“yeah? You’re not that bad either”_ teased the man. He leant in for another (or two) kiss. When the kiss ended they were smiling softly at each other.

 _“I thought you-“_ but the door opened and Thace stopped. Krolia stood in the doorway, her eyebrow raised up in surprise. But it quickly disappeared.

“ _Finally_.” And she sighted. _“Now if you’ll excuse me I have to go and collect my bet and pass of its half to Kolivan”_ and she left the room.

They stared the now closed door for a few moments.

 _“Why are we constantly got interrupted?”_ said Thace questioningly.

 _“Don’t know but they could stop it now. It gets on my nerves._ ” Said the boy “ _what were you wanted to ask_?”

 _“Never mind. We should talk in a more private room later. But I have a feeling we should go and find the others and say something.”_ Thace let go of Keith but remained close to him.

_“Yeah, you are right.”_ Said Keith looking up to the man. _“I’ll go to your room after dinner.”_

Thace just hmm-ed and they went out of the room to find the others. Smiling their own little smiles they walked down the corridor, both of them were thinking about the things they have to talk later that night.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Of course Krolia and Kolivan won the bet. A mother know her son the best and Kolivan still a leader and know everything within the base and what is happening with his subordinates ;)


	13. worth of wait

Keith was late. He should have arrived 15 doboshes ago. Thace was pacing inside his room. His thoughts racing. He didn’t know what Keith want to talk about exactly. **“I mean, he still wants to talk at all? Or he changed his mind?”** then he heard a knock. He opened it and to his relief it was Keith.

“Hey, come in” smiled the man and let the younger man inside. The door closed behind them and he turned to the boy to ask if he want to drink something before the talk. _“Do you-“_ he got cut off by a heated kiss. Keith pressed himself so close they almost fell down but Thace caught him in time. He kissed the boy back and Keith’s back hit the door with a small thud.

_"Don't you- don't you want to talk first?"_ he rasped out, feeling his heartbeat accelerate at the prospect. _"About- about this?"_ panted out.

_“We can talk later. I think both of us waited long enough for this.”_ Answered the raven haired man. His voice hoarse, his face painted with a beautiful blush highlighting his purple marks and eyes even more. He was on Keith in an instant, crashing their mouths together. Both of their hands roaming each other’s body, trying to get rid off, of the clothes. Thace’s hands settled in Keith’s hair pulling the man more closer, deepening the kiss. Keith moaned into the kiss, slipping a hand in Thace's suit and running it over the skin of his back in an almost frenzy, leaving little claw marks behind. They moved against each other hungrily, their motions erratic and hurried as they started grinding on one another, Keith desperately rubbing his erection into his thigh like some animal in heat, letting out a whine when Thace pulled away to grab at his thighs and hoist him up onto his waist. 

The boy wrapped his legs around his torso and his arms around his neck for support, gasping out a, _"W-Where are we-"_

_"Bed, of course,"_ Thace said, swiftly making his way through the hallway towards his bed.

_"Perhaps you'd like to take a shower before we start?"_

_"Ah, n-no, it's, um, fine," s_ aid the half galra, feeling himself heat up because of what he was about to admit _. "I... uh, I actually took a... very thorough bath earlier, before heading here.”_

_„So that is the reason for your late arriver. And here I thought you changed your mind.”_ Smirked the man knowing what the boy meant but can’t bring himself to say it out loud. Thace’s gaze darkened of the thought. And then his hands were back on Keith, their bodies becoming a tangle of limbs as their mouths collided, Keith's fingers roaming over the skin of Thace’s shoulders, chest and thighs, raising goosebumps wherever they touched. And then Thace’s mouth was on his neck, nibbling and sucking at the skin. And Keith gasped at the feeling, tilting his head back to give the other man more access, but Thace stopped at the gesture and looked at the boy’s whine.

_“What’s wrong?”_ panted Keith, searching the other’s eyes.

_“I…I almost lost control. I almost give you a mate bit, sorry.”_ said Thace looking guilty. Keith knew what a mating bit meant. He learned its meaning when he accidentally wanted to treat Ilun’s bite mark when he saw it. It looked fresh. Then the others explained what it was and that it must heal on its own leaving a little scar behind.

_“And why you stopped?”_ asked Keith, but when a though come in his mind his eyes expanded feeling stupid. Thace guessed his thoughts immediately and hurriedly scented the boy

_“No! No it’s not the reason you think is it. I just…I just thought, because you didn’t tried to bit me I thought you don’t want to be my mate. Just want me to be your…don’t know what terms humans use in that case. “_ finished somewhat lamely the galra.

Keith smiled a little of the assumption. _“Sorry for not wanting to hurt you, but I can assure you that I want to be your mate. I love you”_ he caressed the man’s face.

_“Do you know what it means?”_ said Thace not sure entirely that the boy knows the full meaning of a mate bit. _“I…I don’t want you to be tied to me, if you’re want to leave me after some time. It wouldn’t be fair to you.”_ Said the galra looking nervously. Keith looked into his eyes, his face serious.

_“One: don’t you dare to doubt my feelings for you.”_ But he got cut off

_“I am not doubting you, It’s just…you are still so young. Keith I am old enough to be your father, even in human terms.”_

_“And what?”_ said Keith raising his voice a little _. “I don’t care of the age gap.”_ Keith sat up and he put his hands on the galra’s shoulder. _“Thace, I thought you thought of me as your little brother. When I realized my feelings I was on a quiznaking space whale so far from you. And after that when we rescued Kolivan and he said he didn’t know what happened with you, I worried that maybe you died. It was agonizing.”_ He embraced the man and burrowed his face of the man’s neck. _“And two: when I got you back, I know instantly I want to be with you. Not just now. I want to be with you forever…if you have me.”_

Thace inhaled sharply. _“Keith, I love you to, and I want to be with you too.”_ He hugged back the boy and copied his pose. Burrowing his face into Keith’s neck. _“The stars are my witnesses of my love. I will take care of you, and protect you even at the cost of my life. Are you honor me by being my mate until, the stars die?”_ asked Thace.

Keith recognizing the old mating ritual answered with right words. _“Until the stars dies I will take care of you and protect you at the cost of my life. I accept you as my mate, felling honored by it.”_

They felt the other’s breath on their neck. They waited few tikk, when they opened their mouth and bit down on the other’s neck, drawing a little blood. Both of them moaned at the feeling it wasn’t comfortable but is wasn’t painful neither. When they separated a little they scented each other right where the mate bite mark was.

_“I love you”_ said Thace softly. Keith responded with a light kiss on the man’s lips. Smiling a small smile. The kiss got more and more heated. He pushed Keith down into the mattress, a hand finding its way to the waistband of his boxers and venturing under the cloth.

„ _Ah_!” moaned the half galra, as Thace yanked his boxers down to pump at his length. Keith heard the men’s shivering breath, sending shivers down his spine as he moved his hand up and down with slow, unhurried motions. A thrill of anticipation ran down his spine as Thace sat up, pulling down his underwear in one swift motion. It was safe to say Keith's mouth watered a little, his face becoming even more flushed at the sight of Thace's hard cock. It looked a little different from humans cock. There were tiny bumps on either side, that producing some kind of liquid. Feeling the sudden urge to take it into his mouth and taste it.

Following his gaze Thace smirked a little “ _it will help with the penetration_ ” Keith traced a finger on the bumps. Thace shivered at the feeling, his gaze darkening as he watched Keith as he licked his finger, tasting the liquid. “ _It’s strange but not bad”_ said the boy with a knowing look in his eyes promising other enjoyment for later. A shudder run down Thace’s spine at the though.

Crawled towards him, his eyes never leaving Keith's as he pushed his thighs up in the air, spreading his legs apart and leaving him completely exposed under his appraising gaze. 

_"Now relax for me,"_ Thace whispered into his hair, sweeping down to capture his mouth in a deep, tender kiss as he aligned himself against him, his cock barely touching his hole before Keith was letting out a choked-up, needy little moan. And then he was pushing in, slow and deep and steady, stretching him out and filling him up so, so _good._

Keith groaned against his mouth, giving Keith barely a second to accommodate around him before he was pushing all the way in

Oh my god, you-" he panted, tightening around Thace, wrapping his legs around his torso and pulling him further down against his body. „Y-you’re big. _Feel so good_ ”

Thace made a low, guttural sound in response „ _stars, you are tight_ ” pulling out and then pushing back in with slow, deep thrusts, his dark, dark eyes heavy as he stared right down into Keith's, never looking away as he started moving inside him at a torturous pace that had Keith's body shaking and his toes curling with need.

He could feel his bones liquefying and his body turning to mush as Thace rocked into him, rhythm ever steady and so, so deliriously, agonizingly _slow_ , the mattress creaking under their bodies as they moaned and grunted into each other's lips, the warmth of Thace's hands melting his skin and seeping into his blood until it set his whole body aflame

He wasn't sure for how long Thace kept him squirming and writhing and begging beneath him, any notion of reality slipping from his mind as the man continued to slowly, torturously thrust and thrust and thrust into him, the faint smirk on his lips telling Keith he was very much enjoying watching him suffer.

He finally took mercy on him and settled into a firmer, rougher rhythm after what felt like an eternity, and it could have been a minute or ten or fifty and he couldn't have cared, his mind too focused on the way Thace felt inside him, on the scalding heat of his touch and the low, deep grunts of pleasure that left his lips as he continued to rock into him at an increasingly violent pace. He didn't even notice the wetness in his eyes until Thace leaned down to kiss the tears away, pressing a kiss to his cheek and then another to the corner of his mouth, planting more on his jaw and down his neck in time with every hard, aggressive thrust of his hips. 

The man fucking him into a mess of need and tears with every thrust, holding him so firmly yet so lovingly under him while he pounded him into the mattress, drawing needy sound after needy sound from his lips and kissing and touching and completely ravaging him as he so pleased.

_"-oh g-god, Th-Thace- ah! I-I_ _nnghh-_ _"_ he babbled incoherently, Thace's grip on his skin tightening almost painfully. 

Thace growled back to him indicating that he was listening but he never got an answer from the boy, just more sweet moans and cries.

Thace's pace slowly started becoming erratic, his motions quicker and rougher and betraying the same desperation Keith felt, leaving him so, so _full_ after every hard, powerful thrust. And as Keith squirmed under him, he felt him mouthing at his neck, sucking and biting at the flesh as if he wanted to devour him whole, and all Keith could think was, **„ _yes, yes, please, mark me as yours, I'm yours, please-„_**

"- _please_ , _Th-Thace,_ _p-please,_ " he moaned, not really sure what he was asking for, clenching his eyes shut as the pleasure saturated his entire body, unable to focus on anything that wasn't the weight of the man's body on top of his, the stretch of his cock against his insides. 

_“Keith. Keith_ ” panted the galra right in his ears leaving a series of shudders behind.

Thace wrapped both arms around Keith, pulling him up into a sitting position over his thighs and grabbing length. At his jaw, capture his lips in a heated kiss, his other hand still furiously pumping at Keith's

_„I'm going to- oh god, I-I can't anymore, please"_

_"Come for me. Come for me my love,"_ Thace whispered into his ear.

With a long, pitiful cry he was coming into Thace's hand, his back arching and tears welling in his eyes as he was overtaken by the most intense orgasm in his 22 years of life. Thace's pace became wild and brutal as he rode out his orgasm, growling against Keith's ear and burying his cock deep inside him with one last, hard thrust, his claws sinking into Keith's hips hard enough to draw blood as he came.

After two or three seconds of heavily panting against his neck, Thace let himself fall back onto the bed, pulling Keith down with him to land on their sides. They caught their breaths in silence, the room still spinning around him as he felt Thace's arms tightening around his chest.

_"Are you,"_ Thace panted as he rested his head on his shoulder, his voice rough and hoarse still, _"Are you okay?"_

_"I'm more than okay,"_ Keith breathed out, the thrill and adrenaline slowly melting off as clarity settled in. _"That- that was_ _amazing._ _"_

They lay side by side on the bed for a few minutes, simply listening to each other's breathing, cooling off and recovering from their intense high. As the events of the past half-hour sank into his brain, Keith couldn't help to smile giddily, feeling light-headed and warm and so, so incredibly happy. 

Then a though made him smirk and he looked up the man. _“Well, I hope you are prepared for a few “shovel talk” because I’m sure my mom, Regris and Shiro will give you one. Maybe even Kolivan and Antok and the other paladins will.”_ Giggled the raven haired boy. _“And I’m sure Ulaz will give us a lecture about safe sex.”_

Thace groaned. It was very highly possible. “I can handle the paladins, Regris and Kolivan. But your mother are scary like an angry kresh’al and Antok will just stare at me until I promise him I won’t hurt you ever and if I do I will kill myself right that moment.” Said the galra looking at him.

They laugh at the though. _“Please don’t get yourself killed. We waited too long for that.”_ Said playfully Keith. “ _And I will talk my mom first. I think she would be a little sad if I don’t tell her first. “_

A few tikks passed in peaceful silence. _“Do you…do you want a human marriage ceremony?”_ asked Thace.

_“Hmm…I never thought about it before. But now I feel I want to be yours as many ways as possible. Do galras have a marriage ceremony? Or the mate bite is that?”_

_“We had, but because of the war, not many galra do it anymore.”_

_“But you want to.”_ it wasn’t a question. Keith could hear it in Thace’s voice.

_“Only if you want too.”_

_“Then we have to start planning. I bet, galra marriage ceremony preparations takes at least as much time as human marriage ceremony.”_ Said Keith looking into the galras eyes, smiling softly.

_“Oh stars. It sounds exhausting”_ groaned the galra, but his lips twitched with happiness “but I would endure any exhausting work for you” he leaned down and kissed the boy.

_“then…are you up to some more exhausting activities with me in this bed?”_ smirked the boy as he slide his hand down on Thace’s bare chest feeling the muscles tensing up under his touch.

_“Oh, you don’t even know”_ smiled Thace as he pulled Keith closer and kissed him deep with passion and love.

They got immersed in each other and in happiness thinking of their new life together, saying “I love you”s as many time as possible, and knowing that it was worth of the long waiting.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> thanks to everyone who read it. I hope you liked it.

**Author's Note:**

> sorry If ther was grammatical errors.  
> If you have ideas feel free to tell me :)  
> If you want to copy this fic to other pages please ask me beforehand.


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